Orlando Attractions Area News & Developments

[codypet]

13 hours ago, aent said:

I went this past weekend and thought they did a great job. The shows were well done, and something that Universal doesn't really have anything comparable at HHN, making it a different experience. With that said, they were clearly very short employees, with many spots clearly meant for "scare actors" sitting empty, and an employee told me they've had large quantities of people calling in sick every single night. With that said, it was also a lot less busy then HHN, which was also nice IMO.

Bill and Ted was the closet thing they have to it, but that said.........I think BG has like 2 or 3 of those shows. I'm sure SW does too.   The staffing issue is system wide.  I don't know if it truely is people calling out sick.

[jrs2]

16 hours ago, aent said:

I went this past weekend and thought they did a great job. The shows were well done, and something that Universal doesn't really have anything comparable at HHN, making it a different experience. With that said, they were clearly very short employees, with many spots clearly meant for "scare actors" sitting empty, and an employee told me they've had large quantities of people calling in sick every single night. With that said, it was also a lot less busy then HHN, which was also nice IMO.

the best HHN experience I had was when Halloween II house was there.  they had a ton of "actors" in that house and it worked so perfectly well with a gazillion Michael Meyers' at almost every turn.  It was glorious.  On subsequent HHN's at different times, I've noticed less employees working which is a real thrill kill; it has to be full of employees to work well...

[spenser1058]

You’ll have to wait a year but Chucky will be at next year’s HHN:

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202210/9211/

From Theme Park Insider 
 

[jrs2]

1 hour ago, spenser1058 said:

You’ll have to wait a year but Chucky will be at next year’s HHN:

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202210/9211/

From Theme Park Insider 
 

they had a Chucky scare zone a couple years back.

Chucky...

 

[spenser1058]

Universal to close most of its Kids’ Zone:

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202211/9214/

From Theme Park Insider

So far, E.T. Is staying. Phone home!
 

[jrs2]

17 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Universal to close most of its Kids’ Zone:

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202211/9214/

From Theme Park Insider

So far, E.T. Is staying. Phone home!
 

ET needs to be updated in a big way.  what I mean is the front of it with the outdated video quality of the Spielberg intro.  the ride itself is very "Disney" and very psychedelic when you make it to the land of alien mushrooms on ET's home world.

[spenser1058]

11 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

ET needs to be updated in a big way.  what I mean is the front of it with the outdated video quality of the Spielberg intro.  the ride itself is very "Disney" and very psychedelic when you make it to the land of alien mushrooms on ET's home world.

I thought E.T. was kinda clunky when UO first opened so I can only imagine it now. It is one of the few legacy rides (soooo different than The Mouse - God forbid you close anything at WDW) at Uni so it is amazing it’s still there.

Edited November 2, 2022 by spenser1058

[jrs2]

43 minutes ago, spenser1058 said:

I thought E.T. was kinda clunky when UO first opened so I can only imagine it now. It is one of the few legacy rides (soooo different than The Mouse - God forbid you close anything at WDW) at Uni so it is amazing it’s still there.

they should've never closed down Mr. Toad at MK...I had a Viewmaster of that ride...it was so cool...  Peter Pan is cool...if it's still there.  great ride.  I think ET copies the aerial aspect of it.

[spenser1058]

5 minutes ago, jrs2 said:

they should've never closed down Mr. Toad at MK...I had a Viewmaster of that ride...it was so cool...  Peter Pan is cool...if it's still there.  great ride.  I think ET copies the aerial aspect of it.

Pan is forever. In fact, Tokyo’s about to get the first really new version of it and it sounds incredible.

Or, as Captain Kirk would say, “Second star to the right, and straight on ‘til morning.”

Edited November 2, 2022 by spenser1058

[codypet]

I was so annoyed when BTTF was closed and ET stayed.  I felt like BTTF was the best ride there, and probably could have held up with the rest of them.   I guess with 2015 approaching, they didn't want to have to explain why the future didn't look like the 2015 we actually got.

[spenser1058]

About the new Pan in Tokyo:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3QPoweT4u8

Disney has boat rides for Frozen and Tangled (Rapunzel), as well as what appears to be a motion-base ride for Pan, plus a Tinkerbell dark ride.

In fact, it gets its own land:

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202210/9202/ (Scroll down to Pan)

From Robert Niles and Theme Park Insider 

Edited November 2, 2022 by spenser1058

[jrs2]

17 hours ago, codypet said:

I was so annoyed when BTTF was closed and ET stayed.  I felt like BTTF was the best ride there, and probably could have held up with the rest of them.   I guess with 2015 approaching, they didn't want to have to explain why the future didn't look like the 2015 we actually got.

yes, they should have kept it.  in fact, based on the success of Cobra Kai, they could have easily made a series on BTTF.

[jrs2]

https://orlandoparkstop.com/news/theme-park-news/epic-universe-update-storm-flooding-gives-way-to-increased-construction-progress/

construction at Epic U is back on track after Ian flooding subsided.

[jrs2]

Howl O Scream:

https://www.thescarefactor.com/howl-o-scream-orlando-review-2022/

This kind of gives a decent 2021 to 2022 rundown of the growth of the event from Year 1 to Year 2 at Sea World.  IMO, it's big for Orlando kind of like a major annual convention is.  Yes, you aren't booking space at the OCCC, but, you are probably filling hotel rooms for out of towners attending.

[jrs2]

OCCC:

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2022/10/27/florida-orange-county-convention-center-expansion.html

See below: Not bad ala the tourist tax as reported

"Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond, via the latest tourist development tax collection report, said the county should not look at any "new major funding commitments" until collections and reserves each reach $300 million. The county's reserves are not where they need to be just yet, Diamond told Orlando Business Journal.

The county has $258.4 million in tourist development tax reserves as of Aug. 31, the most recent data available. The county's reserves were as high as nearly $319.2 million as of May 31, 2020, when the county's reports began including the state of the reserves."

In fiscal 2018-19 before the Covid-19 pandemic, it hosted 170 events with 1.45 million attendees and generated $3 billion in economic impact, according to OBJ research.

That fell to just 119 events with 734,000 attendees and $1 billion in economic impact in fiscal-year 2020-21, which runs from October through September, due to the pandemic, according to county records.

However, the center continues to see improvement, as It hosted 159 events in fiscal 2021-22 with a total of 1.4 million attendees and an economic impact of $2.3 billion.

Edited November 4, 2022 by jrs2

[jrs2]

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2022/11/03/florida-tourist-tax-collections-2022-orange-county.html

Orange Co tourist tax collections hit all time high

"The county’s tourist development tax collections — an indicator of the tourism and travel industry’s health — ended the 2021-2022 fiscal year with an all-time-high of $336.3 million, up 18.4% from $284 million in fiscal 2018-2019 before the pandemic, said a report from Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond."

[jrs2]

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/arts/howl-o-scream-vs-halloween-horror-nights-is-shaping-up-to-be-this-halloweens-scariest-smackdown-32662765

this is a good comparative review of HHN vs HOS

 

[ragerunner]

Construction on SeaWorld Orlando’s new stand up B&M coaster is well underway and will open in 2023. 

 

[AmIReal]

A few months ago, I saw a MarketWatch article that declared the Four Seasons at WDW to be the most expensive hotel in the country with an average room rate of $1440.

Well, something has changed. The hotel is still the most expensive in the country, but the rate is now $1733.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/with-a-rate-of-1-733-per-night-this-orlando-resort-is-the-most-expensive-u-s-luxury-hotel-11666375171

[jrs2]

22 minutes ago, AmIReal said:

A few months ago, I saw a MarketWatch article that declared the Four Seasons at WDW to be the most expensive hotel in the country with an average room rate of $1440.

Well, something has changed. The hotel is still the most expensive in the country, but the rate is now $1733.

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/with-a-rate-of-1-733-per-night-this-orlando-resort-is-the-most-expensive-u-s-luxury-hotel-11666375171

that is simply amazing when considering.  And now, not too far from there, the Conrad property is going up.  That's just insane when comparing this resort to the likes of the Beverly Wilshire, or the on in SF at Union Square, or the NY Palace, or The Peninsula on Michigan Ave, or the Ritz in Naples on the beach, and/or similar properties in choice locations.

Edited November 8, 2022 by jrs2

[shardoon]

Pretty big news out of left field. Orlando starting to get hip with Nobu, Fairmont, Conrad etc etc. Well, we now know why the new head quarters for the marriott vacation club parking garage is so freaking huge in otown west. 

Tao group is opening their first hotel. This will include a nightclub and rooftop lounge. This is pretty cool. Tao usually partners with Moxy, which is marriott branded. We are joining the ranks of other big cities in which Tao has a presence.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/tao-hotel-opening-orlando-6826841

[jrs2]

9 hours ago, shardoon said:

Pretty big news out of left field. Orlando starting to get hip with Nobu, Fairmont, Conrad etc etc. Well, we now know why the new head quarters for the marriott vacation club parking garage is so freaking huge in otown west. 

Tao group is opening their first hotel. This will include a nightclub and rooftop lounge. This is pretty cool. Tao usually partners with Moxy, which is marriott branded. We are joining the ranks of other big cities in which Tao has a presence.

https://www.travelandleisure.com/tao-hotel-opening-orlando-6826841

So, is their hotel going into that building, or just on that property somewhere else?

[shardoon]

1 hour ago, jrs2 said:

So, is their hotel going into that building, or just on that property somewhere else?

I believe in front of it, hugging the corner. 

[AmIReal]

2 hours ago, jrs2 said:

So, is their hotel going into that building, or just on that property somewhere else?

Per OBJ... "The Tao Hotel will rise within the City Center at O-Town West component of the larger development, at the corner of Daryl Carter Parkway and Palm Parkway, adjacent the under-construction headquarters for Marriott Vacations Worldwide."

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2022/11/09/unicorp-o-town-west-tao-group-luxury-hotel-resort.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_11&cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s

[aent]

OBJ also says constructions starts in 2024 and opens in 2025