Orlando Attractions Area News & Developments

[cwetteland]

... that is why they dropped there ticket prices for the 2009 season.

yes for some and sort of for some, and increased for some.

There are sections in the endzone that have very reduced season ticket prices.

For people between the goal lines, season tix went up from $210 to $240 ... but there are 7 home games this year. So for these people, the per game price only equates to a drop from $35 to $34.28, or 72 cents per game. I'll also give you this, although they raised minimum donor levels in most seating sections last year, they extended the grandfathering on that for a second year. But for many fans they were already paying the higher level. Last year's increase in minimum donor level for seat sections was really just an adjustment. Going into the new stadium in '07 minimums were set ... but seat selection was based on points, based on donations. So in trying to move up in the picking order people upped there donations. It was like a silent auction. In many cases (mostly on the west side facing away from the sun) the donations needed to get into a section far exceeded the minimum set. For example, if you didn't donate at least $750 there probably weren't any seats left in the $500 section when it was your turn to pick. Last year they raised the minimum levels to the levels that most people had actually paid anyway. Thinking was this (and I think rightly so), if a seat comes open today it wouldn't be fair to people who paid $750 in the bid war, for a newbie to come in a only pay $500. Sections on the east side didn't inflate that much and thus adjustments were smaller.

So if you're a newbie in a premium section then there is a chance you will pay more than if you were a newbie in season 1. Also, a couple of sections that were not premium have been switched to premium. So last year maybe you only paid for the season tickets. This year it's the tickets plus a $100 donation. I think (but not sure) that this is also grandfathered for those who had tickets there last year.

[mgsports]

Orlando has Cracker Jack Stadium for a MLB Team and all it's needs is a Retrackable Roof and Fences moved back. NFL/MLS would need it's own Stadium.

[jack]

Letter from Steve Hogan, the Executive Director of Florida Citrus Sports.

Link

[Go Gators]

Just to comment on a couple of your points here:

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.

You are wrong. No public money has been used to build any part of the Swamp. Bright House Stadium is ok for UCF football, but inadequate for major college bowl games.

[JRS1]

^^

I missed that. there is a caveat though to no public money at UF... I can't remember details, but I remember reading about Yon Hall athletic housing at Florida Field and similar structures at Tiger Stadium and somewhere else where they went around a loophole to get state $$$ for actual stadium construction b/c it was a hybrid building/grandstand. Yon Hall was the East Stands section which was built after the West Stands superstructure sometime in the mid-Sixties.

[Go Gators]

^

You're right, Yon Hall is on the east side of the stadium, but hasnt been a residence hall for almost 15 years.

http://www.housing.ufl.edu/housing/about_history.html#yon

Although the article says it was funded by the Athletic Dept, not the school itself. The Athletic Dept uses private money on many things, so I'd be interested to know what the public/private monies spent on the hall actually were.

[mgsports]

Have you been there yet?

Burger King Opens First Whopper Bar

Burger King recently opened its first Whopper Bar in Orlando, at Universal Studios' CityWalk shopping and entertainment complex. The company's newest version of its fast food burger restaurants features a station where patrons request that Burger King employees customize their burgers with up to 22 different toppings. The units are smaller than the chain's typical and also feature a different color scheme. Although this first location is a test, the company plans to have six open by the end of this year, and stated an ultimate goal of 300 to 500 units.

[prahaboheme]

Does anyone have construction pictures for the Peabody expansion or Hilton OCCC? I'd like to see the street interaction, and how these building look in context to their surroundings.

[leclercnmillenia]

Whopper Bar = Burger King with more toppings. Who cares. Just what America needs, another fast food restaurant to increase the obesity rate. I mean, couldn't they put something a little more original than a fast food joint? Moes, Panda Express? Citywalk is turning into a mall food court. I wish they would put in a Dick's Last Resort; that restaurant/bar would fit in with citywalk.

[bulldogger]

The idea of a Whopper Bar sounds like the burger place at Magic Kingdom in Tomorrowland where you have a topping bar.

[JRS1]

Does anyone have construction pictures for the Peabody expansion or Hilton OCCC? I'd like to see the street interaction, and how these building look in context to their surroundings.

no pix yet, but imagine between Pointe Orlando and Peabody, the garage and new tower are recessed behind the tall pine trees and other trees and brush, but are visible still. On the other side of Peabody, the convention space expansion is flush with the sidewalk right up to the elevated crosswalk and curve around to the side of the N/S Bldg. Sorry for no pix, but its the best I could no at the moment.

[FLheat]

no pix yet, but imagine between Pointe Orlando and Peabody, the garage and new tower are recessed behind the tall pine trees and other trees and brush, but are visible still. On the other side of Peabody, the convention space expansion is flush with the sidewalk right up to the elevated crosswalk and curve around to the side of the N/S Bldg. Sorry for no pix, but its the best I could no at the moment.

Here's a link to a Peabody photo in today's Orlando Sentinel:

How Much Growth is too Much?

[bic]

Here's a link to a Peabody photo in today's Orlando Sentinel:

How Much Growth is too Much?

For the lazy:

[prahaboheme]

Impressive but will there be streetside retail?

[JRS1]

Impressive but will there be streetside retail?

that's an interesting question. to date, I don't think there's any orlando hotel down there with streetside retail, but that would be a great idea to attract people to the property.

[demon]

that's an interesting question. to date, I don't think there's any orlando hotel down there with streetside retail, but that would be a great idea to attract people to the property.

Pointe Orlando.

[bic]

that's an interesting question. to date, I don't think there's any orlando hotel down there with streetside retail, but that would be a great idea to attract people to the property.

Pointe Orlando.

reading comprehension > you

[bulldogger]

One of the other things done poorly in Orlando is marketing the hotels to locals. A good example of marketing to locals is South Beach's hotels. Locals pack the pool bars every night of the week down there.

In Orlando, if you drive up to the hotel and make your way to the pool, you are acosted by security. Why are you here? Are you guest? (of course you are a guest. if you don't work at the f'ing hotel, you are obviously a guest of some kind.) Then, you have to speak very slowly to them and let them know that you would like to buy overpriced margaritas and long island iced teas at their pool.

[Boomer136]

One of the other things done poorly in Orlando is marketing the hotels to locals. A good example of marketing to locals is South Beach's hotels. Locals pack the pool bars every night of the week down there.

In Orlando, if you drive up to the hotel and make your way to the pool, you are acosted by security. Why are you here? Are you guest? (of course you are a guest. if you don't work at the f'ing hotel, you are obviously a guest of some kind.) Then, you have to speak very slowly to them and let them know that you would like to buy overpriced margaritas and long island iced teas at their pool.

So is it bad to think of a scenario where it's 1989 and the security guys at the Giraffe ask if you are a room card carrying guest, or just someone hitting the bar....

How dare these riff-raff (us riff-raff?) mess up a place!

Must be nice to not need the extra business...

Edited April 2, 2009 by Boomer136

[JRS1]

^^

LOL! see, well, me, about 6 years ago at the Wilderness Lodge in the middle of Summer getting thrown out by Disney cops. There's always a way around it... you just gotta know the lay of the land as they say.

[That Crazy Guy]

Peabody Rising

[bulldogger]

Thanks for the update. Last time I was down there, it was only one story tall.

[JRS1]

that is one wide bldg. I went to Peabody 3 weeks ago. saw the model of the expansion on the pool deck level. it's a shame cutting down the hieght from 42 stories to 35 or so... I still can't figure out the ratio of height to the setbacks by looking at the original model, and how they're going to do it without making it look awkward. it looks like the tower is still just as wide as originally planned... it will be noticeably taller though, 28 stories to 35 is a big difference. This might be the height of Vue once it topps off with the roof ornamentation or whatever. might be just as tall without it b/c of the first two levels being extra high ceilings and all.

[That Crazy Guy]

that is one wide bldg. I went to Peabody 3 weeks ago. saw the model of the expansion on the pool deck level. it's a shame cutting down the hieght from 42 stories to 35 or so... I still can't figure out the ratio of height to the setbacks by looking at the original model, and how they're going to do it without making it look awkward. it looks like the tower is still just as wide as originally planned... it will be noticeably taller though, 28 stories to 35 is a big difference. This might be the height of Vue once it topps off with the roof ornamentation or whatever. might be just as tall without it b/c of the first two levels being extra high ceilings and all.

A sign by the entrance to the existing tower said that the building would be 32 floors. Right now it looks as though its on level 12 or so. Point Orlando is about a 5 minute walk from the construction site. Just think of what this is going to do for the shops and restaurants along I-Drive once this and Hilton open. With another 2000+ rooms, on sell-out nights that corner will be packing in an extra six-to-ten thousand people.

[leclercnmillenia]

A sign by the entrance to the existing tower said that the building would be 32 floors. Right now it looks as though its on level 12 or so. Point Orlando is about a 5 minute walk from the construction site. Just think of what this is going to do for the shops and restaurants along I-Drive once this and Hilton open. With another 2000+ rooms, on sell-out nights that corner will be packing in an extra six-to-ten thousand people.

I sure hope so regarding Pointe Orlando. I was there the other day and after all these years, the place still is dead. The Cuba Libra (sp) is a very nice addition though. Anything about the Rosen expansion? I'm assuming the "Italian Retail Village" is dead until the enonomy picks up; the same with the square. Both the Element by Westin and ALOFT by W are pushed back their openings according to their websites. Has the Four Seasons over by Disney broken ground yet?