Orlando Attractions Area News & Developments

[bulldogger]

I went by that area a few weeks ago and had to do a double take. I saw construction right at the point and then saw more construction close to current tower. It has a very large footprint.

[tc01]

Here is an update from Hollywood Rip The Rocket.

Here's

Edited February 3, 2009 by tc01

[tc01]

I just wanted to explain a little bit about the rollar coaster.

Vital Stats

- 167 feet tall.

- 3800 feet of track.

- Reaches top speeds of 65 mph and towers 17 stories over Universal Studios Florida.

- Will be largest, tallest, fastest X track installation in the world.

- 1st coaster to ever include onboard guest selectable audio and 1 person video capture.

- New X Car designed by Universal Creative to include audio, video, and color changing Daylight LED.

- 3 new maneuvers:

+ Doubletake - Non-inverting loop.

+ Treble Clef - Ascending high-G helix into a Hi-Hat stall and vertical dive.

+ Jump Cut - Spiraling negative-G camelback.

- Other maneuvers:

+ Crowd Surfer - Overbanked curve crowd fly-by.

+ Drop Tuning - Sideways drop into chasm.

+ Plot Twist - Sideways loop.

+ Chorus - High speed ground maneuvers.

Edited February 3, 2009 by tc01

[uncreativeusername]

From this story in the Sentinel, it sounds like the Peabody expansion is making great progress. Anyone been out there lately/have any pictures?

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/or...0,6775452.story

Edited February 13, 2009 by uncreativeusername

[JRS1]

^^

sorry, no pix from my end...

but last time I was near there, the garage looked cloe to topping off at 7 or so stories, and steel framework was up adjacent to the ped bridge, and there's 2 tower cranes and the elevator core is at least 6 levels up... haven't noticed how many actual floors have gone up yet...

[JRS1]

Two things:

1. "American Idol" opened up at MGM this Saturday.

2. Wyndham is building a 400 room hotel at the Wyndham Bonnett Creek Resort across from the Waldorf-Hilton; I think this means there won't be a Wyndham at the Midtown development. The Wyndham looks like it's around 15+ stories tall; and there's more than one tower U/C right now. What I don't know is whether the other tower is merely the latest timeshare tower or rather the second tower of the hotel component.

[OmniKnight]

interesting that disney watches both sea world and universal build these state of the art coasters, and all they can muster is american idol experience.

[spenser1058]

interesting that disney watches both sea world and universal build these state of the art coasters, and all they can muster is american idol experience.

Disney's budget is tied up with a total redo of Disney's California Adventure at the moment. Further, Disney's situation is a little different than Universal or Sea World in that virtually no one who comes to Orlando will not go to Disney; in fact, Harry Potter and to a lesser extent Manta will bring more people to Orlando and by default to Disney. And, because Disney is so successful at keeping people on property, they have mopre leeway to hold off until DCA, Shanghai and the economy move along.

[JRS1]

interesting that disney watches both sea world and universal build these state of the art coasters, and all they can muster is american idol experience.

I'll tell ya... I was at MGM and I saw a rather large crowd standing around the Idol pavillion (to the left of the great movie ride) and they were mezmorized by the big screen tv showing the action inside. At first I was like- what's the big deal? Then I realized that this country loves that show. I mean, these people- there was over a hundred or more- just standing around watching the action on the TV--- now that is power.

[JRS1]

2. Wyndham is building a 400 room hotel at the Wyndham Bonnett Creek Resort across from the Waldorf-Hilton; I think this means there won't be a Wyndham at the Midtown development. The Wyndham looks like it's around 15+ stories tall; and there's more than one tower U/C right now. What I don't know is whether the other tower is merely the latest timeshare tower or rather the second tower of the hotel component.

I went back. The Wyndam is over 20 stories and you can see it over the pine trees when getting off at 536 Epcot exit from I-4 WB. I think it is twin towers or maybe one very wide tower with odd angles and such. fascinating. It is Wyndam's first foray into mixing timeshare with hotel and will be one of their largest properties when complete.

[mgsports]

Oh more Rides for people to try out.

Maybe another Theme Park in another part of Central Florida might be good.

Lake Eola Water Fall might get rehab.

[tc01]

I saw on the news today, they might not renovate the Citrus Bowl. They might build a new retractable stadium near the Convention Center over 75,000 capacity.

Edited March 10, 2009 by tc01

[tc01]

My mistake Orange County said they will do both renovations the Citrus Bowl and they would also build a new retractable stadium near the Orange County Convention Center over 75,000 capacity.It will cost 500,000 million dollars.Do you guys think it's worth it? .Sounds great to me.

Edited March 10, 2009 by tc01

[OmniKnight]

It will cost 500,000 million dollars.

Do you guys think it's worth it?

Sounds great to me.

ummmm.....

at the risk of this being slightly OT (as this is an 'Attractions' thread)... I'll offer my thoughts. Mods, feel free to move to a new thread if you like.

sorry - but the half billion dollar project is absolutely not an option at this point in time. perhaps in 10-20 years when Orlando is up for bid on one+ professional sports teams (baseball and/or football). at that point, it would be a GREAT idea and far superior to the location of the Citrus Bowl in every possible measure.

Actually, the smart choice would be to doze the Citrus Dump. It's a terrible venue, in a terrible location, and hosts a grand total of THREE GAMES PER YEAR (Citrus Bowl, Champs Sports Bowl, FL Classic). It's embarrassing to think that out of town guests who come to Orlando for one of the bowl games have to sit in this eyesore and perceive that part of town as Orlando. Believe me, as a fan of UCF football since the beginning in 79/80, and an [almost] annual Citrus Bowl attendee, I have as much appreciation for the history of the CB as anyone. I'll never forget making my dad hike up and down the stadium when I was a wee tike in the 80s. The sad thing is - the stadium and surroundings have just gotten to the point where they're no longer usable. And renovation is just not the most economical choice.

No - The smart decision would be for the City to invest some dollars and expand the brand new BrightHouse Networks Stadium on UCF's campus, and host the two bowl games + FC there. It's a win-win-win-win for the City, residents, the University, and visitors who want a first class experience. Of course, anyone affiliated with Florida Citrus Sports can't like the prospect of that option. But at this fiscal time, it's simply the BEST solution for the city of Orlando.

Edited March 11, 2009 by OmniKnight

[JRS1]

until I read that article on a domed stadium by the OCCC, byt $.02 is as follow:

1. we need those bowl events here. when UCF left the Citrus Bowl, that was a huge blow. But, being that UCF is not that good in football, the only way they could fill it was that maybe one game per year that could draw buku fans like VTech a few years back. 6 home games at an average of 25k is like 2 packed home games in that stadium. So, the Citrus Bowl didn't lose all that much, but they did lose alot.

2. Using Brighthouse Stadium: First off, it's a steel structure that shakes when fans jump up and down on it. They should've gone concrete to start with. 45k seats... even when they expand it to 60k plus, that's not enough for major bowl games-- but it would be really cool to have fans from all over on the campus spending money and partying. I went to the UF-Mich game last year. Atmosphere was good...I even walked back to DT ala Church St. with other fans... not so bad.

3. Ideally, the Citrus Bowl should be no more than 2 blocks from I-4. As it stands now, it's 2 blocks from 408. Relevance? I don't know.

4. Proposal: why not... make it like GWCC. But, aside from 3 bowl/bowl-like games and an occasional other game, like ND, the OCCC needs to figure out what kind of shows could also use the space so that it makes sense to do it.

[OmniKnight]

until I read that article on a domed stadium by the OCCC, byt $.02 is as follow:

1. we need those bowl events here. when UCF left the Citrus Bowl, that was a huge blow. But, being that UCF is not that good in football, the only way they could fill it was that maybe one game per year that could draw buku fans like VTech a few years back. 6 home games at an average of 25k is like 2 packed home games in that stadium. So, the Citrus Bowl didn't lose all that much, but they did lose alot.

2. Using Brighthouse Stadium: First off, it's a steel structure that shakes when fans jump up and down on it. They should've gone concrete to start with. 45k seats... even when they expand it to 60k plus, that's not enough for major bowl games-- but it would be really cool to have fans from all over on the campus spending money and partying. I went to the UF-Mich game last year. Atmosphere was good...I even walked back to DT ala Church St. with other fans... not so bad.

3. Ideally, the Citrus Bowl should be no more than 2 blocks from I-4. As it stands now, it's 2 blocks from 408. Relevance? I don't know.

4. Proposal: why not... make it like GWCC. But, aside from 3 bowl/bowl-like games and an occasional other game, like ND, the OCCC needs to figure out what kind of shows could also use the space so that it makes sense to do it.

Just to comment on a couple of your points here:

1. UCF averaged 44,018 fans in 2007 and only slightly lower for 2008 (40k, because of a low-consequence thanksgiving weekend game to finish the season). So the 25k/game average number is slightly misleading. In fact, BHNS has been very near or at capacity for every game (but one) that UCF has played since moving on campus.

2. You've bought entirely too much into the Sentinel's garbage headlines about the construction of BHNS (probably the ONLY thing you've been exposed to related to the stadium - but that's not your fault). The simple fact is that conventional concrete construction was never a possibility at UCF for the first phase of BHNS with the available funding - Private donations, University funding, and athletics revenue - but NO public $$$ (unlike those at both UF and FSU). Instead of a $60mm project, you would have been looking at something in the hundreds of millions of dollars. However, if you actually attend a game at BHNS, you'll find that the enclosed bowl design of the stadium provides for a very loud and exciting atmosphere, and the close proximity of the stands to the sidelines puts fans right on top of the action. It's a great meld between traditional closed-bowl style stadiums like ND stadium and the Big House, and Lane Stadium at Virginia Tech. Also, for reference to a great example of a steel-constructed stadium turned into one of the most beautiful football venues in the nation via investment in expanded phases, look no further than FSU's Doak Campbell Stadium:

Early Doak (on opening day):

Doak Campbell Stadium today:

Bright House Networks Stadium today:

So I don't think it's plausible at all to say that the current state of BHNS precludes it from becoming a top flight venue. If anything, it's a far superior design to the current Citrus Bowl, as the possibility for revenue-generating luxury suites (you know, those things that bowl commissioners like to sell) far surpasses the shortfall of suites at the CB, and is really LIMITLESS. Heck, you could conceivably wrap the entire stadium in suites if you wanted to! Also note that current expanded design specs can place BHNS capacity at well more than 60k, and closer to 80k. However, anything is really possible given the necessity (i.e. major bowl games). Point being, the current BHNS is a great base layer with unlimited potential.

Edited March 11, 2009 by OmniKnight

[jack]

UCF is not in the City limits. So the City could not and would not put a dime into it. The OCCC is outside of the City limits so the City could not and would not put a dime into it. The City wants it in City limits so it could benefit from it.

But I think everything should be on the table now.

[spenser1058]

UCF is not in the City limits. So the City could not and would not put a dime into it. The OCCC is outside of the City limits so the City could not and would not put a dime into it. The City wants it in City limits so it could benefit from it.

But I think everything should be on the table now.

Jack, thank you, thank you, thank you for mentioning that. It's rather odd how what is probably the most important point from the City's perspective keeps going unreported.

[UPSDAN]

I am all for dowtown develpment and I graduated from UCF a while back but I think the convention center stadium idea actually makes the most sense. First of all the Citrus Bowl is a dump and most of it has to do with the neighborhood. It will always look pretty crappy in that location no matter what improvements are made. The fact you have to park in someone's yard is a bad first impression for most. Just bulldoze it and save the money for something that could get a lot more use. As for UCF I have been to a lot of games there and in my opinion there is not nearly enough parking available for 45,000 seats not to mention 60,000+ seats. They never open up the grass areas adjacent to the stadium for parking either, they'd rather people walk 2 miles across campus. Anyways, I think a 60,000+ seat stadium would look emtpy for most games when UCF plays there which would probably do more to hurt there image then help. Just leave UCF alone. The stadium is good for them but I don't think it's a good location for college bowl games. All of the college bowl teams and guests stay in the attractions area as well. Having the stadium on I-drive would probably eliminate a lot of people from driving there if they were staying on I-drive (of course we need to improve transportation options as well) and there is a also significant places to park in the convention center complex already. I think the biggest advantage would be that we get a NFL or MLB standard stadium which opens up future possibilities, the Citrus Bowl renovation is more or less a band aid to buy a few more years. Plus with the convention center adjacent to the stadium it would probably be used a lot more then the Citrus Bowl location during the rest of the year. You can use the floor space as additional convention space during the year and I am sure this would land other huge events like political conventions, NCAA tournaments, etc...

[demon]

Jack, thank you, thank you, thank you for mentioning that. It's rather odd how what is probably the most important point from the City's perspective keeps going unreported.

The bowls have contracts with the city and UCF or the county would have to compete for them. On the otherhand it is hard to deny how much money a state of the art facility by the OCCC would bring in. If it was built we could all but gurantee a spot in the BCS & Final 4 rotation. If only we didn't have 2 governments to fight with each other & mass transit linking the nightlife of downtown with the hotels of the attractions.

[jack]

Here is the problem that I have in general. The benefit to having a stadium in your boundaries is the sales tax right? So it should not matter as an economic impact besides having your busineses succeed. The sales tax revenue is based on population, not where it is actually spent.

[cwetteland]

... They never open up the grass areas adjacent to the stadium for parking either, they'd rather people walk 2 miles across campus. ...

I'm not sure what this means. The grass areas adjacent to the UCF stadium are lots E6 and E7 and go to higher donors and are pretty much filled up on game days. Other lots and gragages (C,D, F) also are relatively close to the stadium and go to donors (by the way) at the UCF stadium, if you're sitting between the goal lines on either side of the field you're pretty much a donor. But if you're in the endzone you do have to walk accros campus, but it's scenic, there's no traffic, and the parking is free.

I don't think UCF has any interest in expanding the stadium until the demand is there for UCF games. A partially empty stadium drives down the donor levels people are willing to pay for premium seats.

[JRS1]

^^

one point on my post and OmniKnight's comments. My attendance numbers are from the Citrus Bowl days, not the BHNS days-- those numbers are that high only b/c the stadium is on campus. If those same games were played in the Citrus Bowl in '07 and '08, attendance would've been lower, which is the point I was trying to make about attendance.

One more thing... Doak was seating 60k+ before they made it into a full bowl and the subsequent brickworks construction in that photo that brought it to 80K. BHNS can only be expanded to 60k from 45k based on the plans they released about its construction a couple of years ago. It's too small. It may be nice, but it's too small, which is my point. I already know the issue about initial funding and steel construction, but realize that it will NEVER become like Doak Campbell Stadium b/c the AD is not committed to winning in football. [see USF and FAU football programs for proof by comparison]

When Daunte graduated and that coach retired, they promoted Kruzek from within. The result: UCF sucked for several years in a row. Yes, I know they advanced to 1-A and beat an Alabama team that had a losing record too... But during this time, USF and Levitt were winning right off the bat, advancing up to 1-A within a short time span. The Big East then went through a shake up and needed teams. They chose USF b/c of Tampa and the fact that the Bulls were good. UCF sucked at the time and couldn't fill the Citrus Bowl or even get it to 50k consistently. During this time, Howard took over and started up a new franchise, the FAU Owls. I think they've gone to 2 or 3 bowls already in only a 5 or 6 year existence, which is incredible. UCF perhaps could've gotten Howard. UCF could've gotten Terry Bowden when he left Auburn in the Late '90's. Sure, UCF won C-USA and that's a start. But they followed it up with a losing season. WTF?

And they say the Magic have a committment to losing...

Sorry for the negative slight on UCF football. Kevin Smith was awesome, but their inability to recuit a halfway decent QB, one that wouldn't turn the ball over every chance he got against Texas... I will never forget that game... and I'm not even a UCF grad.

They need a committment to winning. Then they need a real conference. Until those two things occur, BHNS will never expand beyond what it is today which goes back to my original point.

[cwetteland]

... They chose USF b/c of Tampa and the fact that the Bulls were good. ...

The main reason the big least picked USF over UCF was because big least was also a big basketball conference. USF was building up basketball along with its football, while UCF was only focusing on football. USF had the sun dome. UCF had ... not much. It was a basketball decision (mostly facilities) and UCF wasn't ready. Even Conference USA stipulated that UCF had to build a bigger arena (and they did).

Edited March 12, 2009 by cwetteland

[UPSDAN]

I'm not sure what this means. The grass areas adjacent to the UCF stadium are lots E6 and E7 and go to higher donors and are pretty much filled up on game days. Other lots and gragages (C,D, F) also are relatively close to the stadium and go to donors (by the way) at the UCF stadium, if you're sitting between the goal lines on either side of the field you're pretty much a donor. But if you're in the endzone you do have to walk accros campus, but it's scenic, there's no traffic, and the parking is free.

I don't think UCF has any interest in expanding the stadium until the demand is there for UCF games. A partially empty stadium drives down the donor levels people are willing to pay for premium seats.

What I am talking about is the huge grassy area along North Orion Blvd. between parking areas D2 and E3 not to mention all along Gemini Blvd East across from lots C and C2...They'd rather people park all the way across campus. Also, the reserved parking areas are not free you have to pony up for the premium tickets to get them but regardless I think most would agree that UCF should not be expanded at this point. I know a lot of people want it expanded because they always want something bigger and better then everyone else but quite simply UCF is not ready that is why they dropped there ticket prices for the 2009 season.