A little A&A: What's new in Downtown Disney?

Photo taken by Lyndsay Fuller

Downtown Disney is always a hot spot to go for a fun afternoon or a nice evening with the family. There some new things to see if you have not been there recently.
Please Island is still slowly becoming more shops and themed restaurants like Disney had planned when they closed the 6 nightclubs in PI back in 2008. Many of these shops are similar to those you would find in a mall or outlet strip. Some of the shops include:

-Apricot Lane Boutique: which sells Vera Bradley, clothing, and more
-D-Street: an urban clothing store
-Harley-Davidson: which is not new, but has moved to the West Side
-Something Silver: an assortment of silver jewelry
-LittleMissMatched: a funky sock shop that requires you to mismatch your socks



Lego land has updated their installations outside of their store and has a new look inside. You should check it out. See images above and below.

Photo taken by Lyndsay Fuller

There are a lot of other updates currently going on in the Marketplace area. The most noticeable is the Rain Forest Cafe. They will be updating the Rain Forest Cafe design to attract more visitors into their store and restaurant. But no worries, this renovation has not shut the restaurant. You can still come on in and have drink or a bite to eat.

Spring activities include nightly street performances that begin at sundown. Also, do not forget to check out the main stage in front of World of Disney for daily performances from theater and dance troops across the nation. 

More information check out Downtown Disney.

A Choreographer's Showcase or A Professional Dance Recital

Photo taken by Lyndsay Fuller

Last night there was a combined performance with Orlando Ballet & Cirque du Soleil at the La Nouba Theater in the West Side Downtown Disney. Not marketed well, many had shown up for this exciting event. SO many had shown that the performance started 20 minutes late and the theater continued to fill after the first number had started. Robert Hill had joked that the "Disney Police" was called to control the riot.

Little A&A: City Walk Vs. Downtown Disney

Photo taken by Lyndsay Fuller.

Universal Studios Orlando has just opened the Hollywood Drive-In Golf in City Walk. City Walk is known for it hot nightclubs and themed restaurants, not necessarily for it’s “kid-friendly” activities. Compared to Downtown Disney’s the Market Place, what is left of Pleasure Island, and the West Side, how does City Walk size up against Disney’s entertainment hot spots? 

Disney made the decision in the summer of 2008 to shut down all of its six nightclubs in Pleasure Island. Rumors explained Disney had to make the area more “kid-friendly” because Pleasure Island was bringing in too rough of a crowd for Downtown Disney audiences. Filled with young adults, 21 years and up, Pleasure Island was extremely popular. 

A lot of my Disney friends, who were old enough to go, gave it raving reviews. Others reported Pleasure Island was so hot “that some in the industry have blamed it for accelerating the decline of the nightlife district in downtown Orlando during the 1990s.” As a teenager I could not wait to be 21 so that I could enjoy the entertainment available in Pleasure Island. 

Now, 4 years later, City Walk has replaced what Pleasure Island used to be. City Walk, which caters to a couples date night or a night out on the town with friends, is not what I would call "family-friendly." So why did they put in a mini golf course? I mean unless I misunderstood, and this mini golf course is geared for adults, it does not fit with the other attractions offered. But how often are you like “Hey, babe you want to get dressed up and go to dancing AND have a competitive golf game?” 

City Walk, other than the new mini golf, has not catered to family-friendly activities. The AMC theater has a full bar, most clubs are 21 years and up to get in, and most of the shops do not even sell toys. Compared to the Disney’s Marketplace, who has Characters in Flight, Once Upon a Toy, Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, and DisneyQuest, City Walk does not size up when discussing family-friendly activities like a put-put course. They should stick with what they know and take advantage of having the only theme park owned nightclubs in Orlando.  

City Walk Vs Downtown Disney? What do you think?

Links Used:
http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/2008-06-28/news/disney28_1_pleasure-island-downtown-disney-downtown-orlando

http://www.universalorlando.com/Nightlife/Citywalk-Nightlife.aspx

http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/destinations/downtown-disney/

http://www.orlandounited.com/forums/showthread.php?1207-CityWalk-vs-Downtown-Disney

New Mini Golf at City Walk: Hollywood Drive-in

http://www.universalorlando.com/Rides/New-Attractions-2012.aspx

Today was the grand opening of the two separate horror/science fiction themed mini golf courses: “The Haunting of Ghostly Green” and “Invaders from Planet Putt." Each course is 18 holes making the entire Universal Studios City Walk Mini Golf experience 36 holes. Each course is based upon horror and science fiction Drive-in movies from the 1950s era. This is how the course got its name: Hollywood Drive-In Golf.

You can play one or both holes:
One course- Adults (9+) $13.99
                     Children $11.99
Both courses-Adults (9+) $24.99
                      Children $20.99
Florida residents receive 10% off with proof of residency. For more information please see links below. (Universal Studios Orlando has not updated their City Walk page for today's grand opening).

Construction started last year to develop more activities in the City Walk area. Many of the attractions include restaurants, shops, clubs and bars. Unlike, Walt Disney World Resorts Orlando who have multiple mini-golf courses, this is Universal Studios Orlando's first attempt at creating an interactive golf course. As a fan of Disney's Fantasia themed mini golf course near the Swan and Dolphin Hotel, I have been anticipating this opening. It appears, while watching different aspects of the two courses, that there will be lights and sounds triggered by the golf ball movements. There are spaceships and a haunted house filled with cartoon aliens and ghouls. The characters are cute and fun. Perfect for children.

Links to related articles:
http://www.universalorlando.com/Rides/New-Attractions-2012.aspx

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2011/05/universal-orlando-miniature-golf-courses-set-for-universal-citywalk.html

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/features_orlando/2012/03/universal-citywalk-hollywood-drive-in-golf-now-open.html

Did NASCAR make a good decision to change the date of the Daytona 500?

Photo taken by Lyndsay Fuller

The Daytona 500, also known as the Super Bowl of NASCAR, has always been on the Sunday of President’s Day weekend until this year. Fox Sports, who televises this race, had asked a favor of NASCAR to move the race so that it no longer followed Super Bowl weekend. This favor lead to the first time in 54 years that the race had to be postponed to the following day. Unfortunately for most fans who had traveled to Daytona to see the Great American Race were disappointed to see nothing but people in rain gear and raindrops the day of the race.

For 17 years, I have attended all of the Winston Cup, now the Sprint Cup series races at Daytona International Speedway including the Daytona 500, the Firecracker 400, now known as the Pepsi 400, and the Gatorade Duels. I have sat through the rain in my seat waiting for a race to start, but never have I been so frustrated with the series of events that unfolded last Sunday. Knowing that it was going to rain all day Sunday, NASCAR was extremely hesitant to call the race. Instead of allowing fans to be able to reschedule their Monday plans, NASCAR waited to make the final call to move the race to 12pm Monday. The race finally ran on Monday night at 7pm with 2 hour delay because of a jet-dryer accident in turn 3.

In a time were you can get all the information you need on your smartphone device, NASCAR should have utilized new technology to be able to communicate with their fans. People waiting for the rain to stop on both Sunday and Monday afternoon kept checking their weather channel app for the weather radar for the rain forecast in the immediate area. If the rain was the problem, how did NASCAR know more about the rain than the fans waiting in the stands? They probably didn't. Instead of fans interacting with NASCAR media, many listened to the radio. The most Internet media any of the fans received all weekend was from a Sprint Cup driver that was tweeting while under the red flag on Monday night. NASCAR needs to get up to date and evolve with advancing technology. Then maybe more people would tune in to watch the race on Sunday.

Photo taken from http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/daytona-circus-not-even-counting-500-153608580.html

All of this was caused by rain clouds that just wouldn't go away, but also NASCAR's need to compete with other sporting events like the Super Bowl. NASCAR fans are going to watch the Daytona 500 regardless if the Super Bowl was the weekend before or the day before. The idea to market NASCAR's biggest race of the season for an additional week backfired. Because of the postponement of the race, this was the first race not to sell out in the history of the race.

Links:

http://www.daytonainternationalspeedway.com/Articles/2011/02/2012-Daytona-500.aspx 

http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/nascar-from-the-marbles/daytona-circus-not-even-counting-500-153608580.html