Leisure … more than a word, it's a lifestyle

If you’re a lover of automobiles and you’re in Orlando this weekend then you simply have to pay a visit to the Mecum Auction being held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee.

The event is a great place to see a variety of late-model luxury and exotic cars as over 1,750 high quality vehicles are being offered for sale. Earlier today I took a quick trip out of the office and visited the site and it simply blew me away with it’s size.

Among the cars scheduled to cross the auction block are a 2003 Jaguar XK8 Convertible (Lot T182), a 1996 Mercedes-Benz 600SL Roadster (Lot F66), a 2004 Rolls-Royce Phantom (Lot S112), a 2007 Porsche 911 Turbo Carrera (Lot S113), a 2008 Ferrari F430 Spyder (Lot S132), Bentleys, BMWs and much much more.

Mecum’s Kissimmee Auction has now expanded to five full days to accommodate all the vehicles being offered and it will also be broadcast with four days of live national TV coverage on “Mecum Auto Auction: Muscle Cars & More” on Discovery Communications’ HD Theater. Fans can also watch the auction via live Webcast at www.Mecum.com.

Here’s some photo’s and video:

Last week had so much going on with the christening of the Disney Dream and the other announcements from Disney about Fantasyland and “The Magic, Memories & You”,  that it was nice to get back to Mother Nature over the weekend as we sent out some of our folks to kayak around Merritt Island.

Central Florida is great for its fabulous theme parks, but there is another way to enjoy the outdoors and that is by exploring the rivers, springs, islands, beaches, lakes, swamps and marshes that are found throughout the area.

Here it’s possible to paddle with Dolphin, Manatee, Otters, and yes, Alligators (but don’t worry, you aren’t usually on their menu!). You may also spot such magnificent birds as the southern Bald Eagle, White Pelicans, Red Headed Woodpeckers, and Great Blue Heron.

Florida Kayaking Tours

* Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge home to the largest number of endangered plant and bird species of all US refuges.
* Indian River and Mosquito Lagoon paddle through this estuary island hoping where at least seven distinct Indian cultures, Spanish explorers, and civil war troops have occupied as early as 7000 BC.
* Canaveral National Seashore recognized as one of our country’s most beautiful beaches.
* Econlockhatchee/St. John’s Rivers snake along these windy rivers in the Florida back country gliding through hardwood and cypress forests.

Take a look at this video that our folks captured over the weekend and see what’s really happening around you:

Special thanks to Nigel Cousins for the fantastic video footage.

Disney released more brand new information late on Tuesday night in regard to  its plans to expand Fantasyland. This project is earmarked as the biggest expansion in the history of the Magic Kingdom.

In front of an auditorium packed with local and international press, Disney executives unveiled details on a new and improved Fantasyland scheduled for a 2013 completion.

The audience learned that Fantasyland will double in size. Guests will see all of the classic icons, plus some new ones.

Yesterday we posted a list of the new or revamped attractions on this blog (click here) and here are a few more things that you might find interesting:

Execs told us Tuesday that construction is well under way for the Castle of the Beast. Next to it is Belle’s Village. It will have a tavern, but no alcohol.

Close to the Beauty and the Beast section, guests will find an all-new ride starring Ariel and all her friends.

Look for the Princess Fairytale Hall where the Snow White attraction is currently located. Eric Jacobson, the senior VP of Creative Development,also said that Snow White’s attraction will shut down soon but did not give a date.

Inside the new Circus’ big top are interactive wonders for kids, and all sorts of games.

“Reimagined” Star Tours attraction will open May 20, just in time for the Star Wars convention.

The new attractions will begin to roll out in phases starting late next year and completion is expected in 2013.

And to round the night off, Disney launched it’s premier of “The Magic, Memories & You” which is a wonderful slideshow of photos of guests who have used the Disney PhotoPass service that day. Intelligent computer software program selects 500 photos taken throughout the day by PhotoPass photographers and fits them into the 10 minute program that’s projected onto the facades of Cinderella Castle in Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom as a combination of sixteen projectors positioned in four different locations help create the show. It’s certainly fun to be around Disney at the moment!

Walt Disney World released artist renderings of the expansion of Fantasyland today. The project is the largest expansion in Magic Kingdom history. More details will be released tonight during a media event.

The project which is currently under construction will include a new home for The Little Mermaid Ariel, new ways to interact with favorite Disney princesses, an exciting new family coaster, a double dose of Dumbo and more.

It will open in phases beginning in late 2012.

Among the highlights planned:
Under the Sea – Journey of the Little Mermaid
A major, all-new attraction during which guests will travel with Ariel and her friends through their exciting adventures above and below the waves – all against a musical backdrop of songs from the classic film.

The Castle of the Beast
Standing majestically upon a hill just across an old stone bridge from Ariel’s new home. The Be Our Guest Restaurant will feature a lavish dining experience in the elegant ballroom, gallery, and mysterious “West Wing” of the castle. With seating for 550, this magnificent facility will offer “great food fast” service by day and full table service dining in the evening. Nearby in Belle’s Village, guests will find the rousing Gaston’s Tavern and Bonjour! Village Gifts.

Just outside the village is Belle’s cottage and Enchanted Tales with Belle. The adventure begins in Maurice’s workshop, where a magical mirror is the doorway to a captivating new kind of storytelling experience: Guests are transported to the Beast’s library to meet Belle and Lumiere, and share in a lively, interactive, re-telling of the “tale as old as time.”

The Seven Dwarfs Mine Train
It will take guests on a rollicking, musical ride into the mine “where a million diamonds shine.” The coaster will feature a first-of-its kind ride system with a train of ride vehicles that swing back and forth, responding to every twist and turn of the track. The journey will be accompanied by music from the classic Disney film and animated figures of Snow White and the Dwarfs.

Princess Fairytale Hall
Aurora, Cinderella and other Disney princesses, such as Tiana and Rapunzel, will greet guests in their new home, an elegant royal court on the site where Snow White’s Scary Adventures stands today.

The Sound of the Calliope
This will lead guests to the brand new Storybook Circus and not one but two circling carousels of airborne pachyderms on Dumbo the Flying Elephant. Before taking to the skies on this Fantasyland favorite, guests can experience an array of fun-filled family games and interactive wonders for kids of all ages inside the Big Top.

Storybook Circus
The classic Barnstormer gets a bright new look as well, featuring Goofy as The Great Goofini. It’s a twisting, turning roller coaster “flight” high above the circus fun.

Here’s some of the other concept photos:

Walt Disney World debuted a new parade – Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun! – at Disney’s Hollywood Studios yesterday. The new parade at Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ celebrates everyone’s favorite Pixar characters in a fun, newly staged cavalcade! This high energy parade makes its way down Hollywood Boulevard and features stars from the Disney Pixar films, including: “The Incredibles,” “A Bug’s Life,” “Ratatouille,” “Monsters, Inc.,” “Up,” and “Toy Story,” as well as colorful, energetic Pixar Pals dancers. With an upbeat, quirky and fun musical track, Pixar Pals Countdown To Fun! energizes the streets of Disney’s Hollywood Studios™ in a whole new way!

Parades have always been popular with guests at Walt Disney World Resort® Theme Parks as they offer a unique twist to fit the theme of the park they are showcased in. Magic Kingdom® Park has the Celebrate a Dream Come True Parade, the “Move It, Shake It, Celebrate It!” Street Party, and the Main Street Electrical Parade while over at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, you can enjoy the experience of Mickey’s Jammin’ Jungle Parade.

So make sure you don’t miss any of the fun!

Things are starting to shape up at LEGOLAND® Florida as they received delivery of 32 LEGO® models for the family theme park. The first of 50 shipments arrived recently and the container housed several life-size models that were made by hand, in Europe, especially for LEGOLAND and will be featured throughout the park once it opens this October.

Each model was painstakingly wrapped to preserve the precious contents before being loaded for a two week journey on a shipping container ship-bound for Florida. Among the models shipped are a 40,000 brick blacksmith for Castle Hill, a shark’s head for Skipper School and Merlin the wizard for inside the Castle.

Once it is completed, LEGOLAND Florida will have more than 30 million LEGO bricks over the 150-acre Park, all cared after by a staff of six model builders and designers. LEGOLAND Florida will be the biggest to ever open offering a unique mix of more than 50 rides, shows and attractions apart from the spectacular LEGO® models. The Florida development will be Merlin Entertainment’s second LEGOLAND Park in North America and will play an important role in the group’s continued growth in the U.S. The park will provide a full-day, year round, theme park experience geared towards families with children between the ages of two and 12 and it will mirror the successful concept of the four existing LEGOLAND Parks in Denmark, Germany, UK and California. However, as with the other four, it will also have its own unique “twist” reflecting its stunning location and adding a Florida flavor…can’t wait!

If you’re in Central Florida on vacation this weekend then you may want to check out something different that is happening in the Winter Springs area. The Scottish-American Society of Central Florida was founded in 1976 to celebrate and carry on the Scottish traditions here in the US and this weekend sees the Central Florida Scottish Highland Games descend on the area.

The purpose of the organization is to provide education to the Central Florida community through schools, churches, civic lectures and demonstrations, as well as organizing and hosting the annual Central Florida Scottish Highland Games which are always held on the third weekend in January.

Schedule of Events for the 2011 Games

Below is a list of scheduled events by day but do keep in mind that multiple events may be occurring at the same time. There is a Games Program (available at the games for $2.00 each) for a complete list of events, times and locations but they are subject to change due to weather or unforeseen circumstances.

Saturday January 15, 2011

Event
8:00 am Main Gate 2011 CFSHG Gates Open
8:30 am Athletics Field North vs South Competition Begins
9:00 am Athletics Field Masters Competition Begins
9:00 am Highland Dance Tent Medal Dance Competition Begins
9:00 am Ceremony Field Solo Piping Competition Begins
9:00 am Ceremony Field Boulder Boogie (All Day)
9:30 am Main Stage Wyndbreakers
10:00 am Kid’s Game Tent Children’s Games Start
10:00 am Main Stage Albannach
10:30 am Society Tent Shortbread entries due
10:30 am Main Stage Rathkeltair
11:00 am Ceremony Field Border Collies (demo)
11:00 am Society Tent Shortbread Competition Judging
11:15 am Main Stage Hooligans
Noon  Ceremony Field Welcoming Ceremonies & Parade of Tartans
12:50 pm Ceremony Field Tug of War
1:00 pm Main Stage Bardic Rose
1:00 pm Highland Dance Tent PM Dance Competition Begins
1:15 pm Ceremony Field Pipe Band Competition
1:30 pm Main Stage Albannach
2:00 pm Main Stage Wyndbreakers
2:30 pm Main Stage Hooligans
3:15 pm Ceremony Field Border Collies (Demo)
3:15 pm Main Stage Rathkeltair
5:00 pm Ceremony Field Closing Ceremonies

Saturday Evening January 15, 2011

Event
6:00 pm Main Stage Ceilidh (Party)
6:00 pm Main Stage Wyndbreakers/ Albannach/ Hooligans Rathkeltair

Sunday January 16, 2011

Event
9:00 am Main Gate 2011 CFSHG Gates Open
9:00 am Athletics Field Men’s A&B Competition Begins
9:00 am Athletics Field Women’s Competition Begins
9:00 am Ceremony Field Boulder Boogie (All Day)
9:30 am Ceremony Field Kirkin’ O The Tartans
10:00 am Kid’s Game Tent Children’s Games Begin
10:00 am Main Stage Wyndbreakers
10:30 am Main Stage Albannach
11:00 am Main Stage Hooligans
11:45 am Ceremony Field Border Collies (Demo)
11:45 am Main Stage Rathkeltair
12:30 pm Ceremony Field Welcoming Ceremony
1:00 pm Main Stage Wyndbreakers
1:10 pm Ceremony Field Tug of War
1:30 pm Main Stage Albannach
1:45 pm Ceremony Field Pipe Band Competition
2:00 pm Main Stage Rathkeltair
3:00 pm Main Stage Hooligans
3:30 pm Ceremony Field Border Collies (Demo)
4:00 pm Main Stage Albannach
4:30 pm Ceremony Field Closing Ceremonies

The 2011 Central Florida Highland Games will be held in the Central Winds Park, which is located in the beautiful city of Winter Springs, Florida.

Central Winds Park
1000 E. SR 434
Winter Springs, Florida 32708

Navigating a rickety footbridge over a river chasm can be dicey enough for explorers. In an all-new Disney adventure, what lurks below that bridge may quicken their step to get to the other side: Crocodiles! A ravine of menacing-looking crocs, pools of hippos, bushwalks along untracked terrain, and other thrills await Guests on Wild Africa Trek, a unique wildlife experience scheduled to launch January 16 into the deepest, most-remote reaches of Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park.

Reservations can be booked now, for the three-hour, expert-led adventure that will immerse Guests in the realms and wildlife thrills of far-off Africa-without leaving the Walt Disney World® Resort. In small groups, Guests on the Wild Africa Trek will enjoy an “up-close-and-personal” experience with African wildlife species that make their home in Pangani Forest as well as other areas of the park’s Harambe Wildlife Reserve.

As part of the adventure, Guests will clip onto a lifeline as they step to the very edge of a cliff to get amazingly close to the hippos and crocs waiting just below. Talk about cliff-hangers!

Highlights of what’s in store for Guests on this add-on adventure:

• Trekking with experience guides through areas of Harambe Wildlife Reserve that aren’t explored during regular Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park experiences.
• Navigating through fern and vine forests on a bushwalk that sets a course for adventure.
• Clipping into a harness attached to a safety line, crossing a seemingly precarious rope bridge over the Safi River and cliff-hanging at the edge of gullies that are home to hippos and crocodiles.
• Experiencing the thrill of “over-landing” in customized open-air vehicles following the edge of a magnificent, wide-open savanna.
• Unwinding from an unforgettable adventure at a private safari camp for wildlife viewing. At this station elevated above the savanna, Guests savor sample tastes of Africa as their adventure draws to a relaxing and satisfying close.

Wild Africa Trek will be offered several times daily with small groups consisting of no more than 12 trekkers per safari. Park admission is required. Reservations for this tour (ages 8 and up) can be arranged by calling (407) WDW-TOUR.

Guests who experience this unique offering get to see a side of Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park by exploring areas that are not available to regular Guests. After their wild adventure at Disney’s Animal Kingdom® Theme Park, they can then “hop over” to Epcot® and experience a other cultures and cuisine from all over the world.

Years ago when I was a kid there was one thing that used to excite me because it just seemed magical…the circus! I suppose part of the reason would have been that we were away on vacation, usually around Easter time, in a certain part of the UK that gets somewhat unfairly ridiculed today…Blackpool. Back then Blackpool was the place to go for some fun and hopefully the weather would be kind enough to allow you a few hours of sun so you could go to the beach. More often than not though, it was blooming cold and freezing!

So, I have some fond memories of the circus and Blackpool. Well, tonight the circus comes to Orlando and there’s none more famous than Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. The “Greatest Show on Earth” is here in Central Florida for five days and is coming to one of the newest arenas in the country,  the Amway Center in downtown Orlando.

This 141st edition of the circus is called “Fully Charged” and will feature acts from all over the globe. Guests will see breathtaking dare-devilry, superhuman stunts, animals and never-seen-before performances including The Human Fuse, who will rocket across the Amway center stage.

The circus will perform each day from Thursday, Jan. 13 to Monday Jan. 17 and show times are:
Thursday, Jan. 13 at 7:30 p.m.
Friday, Jan. 14 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Jan. 15 at 11:30 a.m., 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 16 at 1 p.m. and 5 p.m.
Monday, Jan. 17 (MLK Day) at 5 p.m.

Tickets are available at many different prices:
$100 (Circus Celebrity), $65 (Front Row), $45 (VIP), $35 (Loge/Club/Suite/Lower Level), $30 (2nd Level), $20 and $15.

Tickets are available at ringling.com or ticketmaster.com, at any Ticketmaster outlet, by calling 800-745-3000, or at the Amway Center box office at 407-440-7900.

Bands, Brew & BBQ is returning to both SeaWorld Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa in 2011! Bands, Brew & BBQ is four weekends of sizzling live performances from award-winning country and classic rock artists, the smokin’ hot flavor of blazing barbeque, ice-cold beer and all of SeaWorld’s and Busch Gardens’ thrilling attractions, rides and shows.

Saturdays at SeaWorld
Feb. 12: Huey Lewis & The News
Feb. 19: Willie Nelson
Feb. 26: REO Speedwagon
March 5: Josh Turner

Sundays at Busch Gardens
Feb. 13: Blondie
Feb. 20: Joan Jett & The Blackhearts
Feb. 27: The Commodores & The Pointer Sisters
March 6: Travis Tritt & The Charlie Daniels Band

Bands, Brew & BBQ is included in any single-day admission or annual pass.