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

Newly crowned “American Idol” Scotty McCreery poses on May 30, 2011 with Mickey and Minnie Mouse in front of “The American Idol Experience” attraction at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. McCreery was honored in a parade at the Disney theme park and performed his new song, “I Love You This Big.” On Wednesday May 25, the 17-year-old singer was crowned the new “American Idol” on the season finale which was viewed by an estimated 29.3 million people. Excited fans lined the streets, cheering on the 17-year-old singer from Garner N.C., as he joined Mickey Mouse in a convertible sports car and greeted fans before taking the microphone to sing his new hit single, “I Love You This Big” in front of “The American Idol Experience” attraction in the Disney theme park.

In addition to the parade, McCreery later surprised guests by making an unannounced appearance on-stage at “The American Idol Experience” attraction inside the theme park. “The American Idol Experience” – the first major theme park attraction in the world based on the popular television series phenomenon – was developed by Walt Disney Imagineering in conjunction with 19 TV Ltd and FremantleMedia Enterprises. In the attraction, Disney guests are able to experience the glitz and glamour of the “American Idol” television show, whether they are auditioning for a Disney producer, performing on-stage in front of a packed theater, or voting for their favorite performance from their audience seats.

Performers who receive the most audience votes in preliminary shows return to star in that evening’s grand finale show.  In addition to their new-found theme park fame, the top vote-getting guest in the finale show receives “The American Idol Experience” Dream Ticket – which allows an eligible holder to schedule a front-of-the-line audition at a future regional audition for the “American Idol” TV show.

Pictured above “American Idol” Scotty signs an autograph May 30, 2011 for fan Sarah Solley while below is more video from the event.

The Amercian Idol – Disney tradition continued today as 2011 winner, Scotty McCreery made an appearance at Disney’s Hollywood Studios this morning. Scotty rode down Hollywood Boulevard with Mickey Mouse and also sang his new song, “Love You This Big” (see video below.) Afterwards he made a brief appearance during the first showing of The American Idol Experience.

Over the last 24 hours a lot of people have asked me about “Splash! Animals” after seeing them on the video I posted on this blog about the opening of “Cheetah Run” and “Cheetah Hunt.”

Splash! Animals is a live art experience committed to the conservation of endangered animals. It is an award-winning conservation focused live art experience that combines art, music, choreography and features endangered species. Based in Southern California (San Diego), Splash! Animals performs all over the United States and internationally at fundraisers, theme parks, zoo, schools and many other venues and events.

Splash! Animals made its debut at the World Famous San Diego Zoo in June 2007 as the nighttime entertainment and regularly appears at Downtown Disney in Orlando and California on weekends. The focus of Splash! Animals is to connect the audience to endangered animals emotionally through an inspiring performance while educating them about the importance of conserving wildlife.

The show always starts with a blank “canvas,” painted black, and in less than 10 minutes, beautiful portraits of endangered animals are revealed by the performing artists. It’s pretty amazing and following on from the feedback from the performance we featured on our “Cheetah Run and Cheetah Hunt Opens at Busch Gardens Tampa” video, we’ve created another video that shows both of the paintings the Splash! Animals team produced at the Busch Gardens VIP party. Enjoy!

I went to Busch Gardens Tampa last night to take another look at Cheetah Run and Cheetah Hunt ahead of the official opening this Memorial Day. A lot has changed since my last visit and it certainly all looks very impressive. Gone are the construction walls, the bulldozers and the construction noise and now it’s a pretty tranquil venue only punctuated by shrieks and shrills from the passing roller coaster, Cheetah Hunt.

As you enter the new area, the first thing that strikes you is the 1.5 acre area known as Cheetah Run. On your right, as you walk in from the main park entrance, is a glass wall where you’ll get your first look at the magnificent animal that is the cheetah. Fourteen cats occupy the area and they will often be seen lounging around or playing with each other as well as doing scheduled sprints down a 250-foot track.

The habitat faces the mammoth, twisting roller coaster, and it was noticeable how quiet it is on its track… in fact it’s only the shrieks from riders and the “whoosh” sound as it goes by at some 60 mph that makes you notice it’s there.  Of course, this makes you wonder how the cheetahs react but they seem completely nonplussed by it all and have obviously been trained well by park keepers who have played recordings of ambient theme park noise to get them used to things.

Naturally, there will always be some critics to the new attraction, not least of all because the cheetahs are penned in but the fact remains that they are an endangered species with just 12,400 left in the wild. Busch Gardens, as always, aims to educate people with a conservation message and the habitat will also  include interactive screens containing facts about the cheetah.

Cheetah Hunt. meanwhile, is a  4G steel roller coaster and a very worthy addition to the roller-coaster lineup at Busch Gardens. It is Florida’s first triple-launch coaster and it uses state-of-the-art technology to deliver three adrenaline-fueled surges of speed all inspired by the world’s fastest land animal.

With a ride time of more than 90 seconds from first launch to final brake, Cheetah Hunt’s 4,429 feet of steel track holds the record as Busch Gardens’ longest coaster, and its 13-acre footprint makes it the most expansive thrill-ride in the park’s history. Its series of magnetically controlled surges fling passengers up and under and through several of the theme park’s other environments. One of these pushes takes riders on a long straight that is aimed directly at a steep upward hill at 60 mph. The vehicle then goes up that incline and goes into a figure-eight motion at the top, where riders are given a great view of Busch Gardens, most notably the Gwazi wooden coaster that is otherwise hard to see from other vantage points in the park.

Other highlights of the ride are a loop over and around the Skyride wire and gondolas … an unusual, exciting and disorienting maneuver … that circles near a water hazard and finally into a low-riding series of curves that have a ski slalom feel to them.

Overall, Cheetah Hunt runs very smoothly and there’s only one inversion that might trouble some riders. It’s a refreshing change because its sister coasters Montu, Kumba and Gwazi can jar your body, mind and soul! great for the young…not so great for the older brigade!

From a safety aspect, riders enjoy the open air feeling and gliding motion effect as the over-the-head harness isn’t too padded around the head area. Overall the coaster isn’t too extreme but it does offer a lot of fun and it’s sure to be popular with riders for years to come. Make sure you check it out when you next visit Busch Gardens Tampa.

Here’s some video and more pictures are available  at Facebook.com/FloridaLeisure… make sure you click the “LIKE” button.

A crowd of 4,715 saw two early goals by Lewis Neal and Kevin Molino ensure Orlando City stayed top of the American Division of the United Soccer League as they scored a convincing win over visitors Richmond. The 2-0 win avenges Orlando’s loss to the same opponents on the opening day of the season  and after taking an early lead they rarely looked threatened.

Adrian Heath & Nigel Worrall

“We’ve been talking about this return game against them since the opening day of the season,” said coach Adrian Heath (pictured above with yours truly) . “Our players were really motivated for it, so I knew we would start quickly. Then we got a goal, which always helps.” Neal collected a through pass from Molino (pictured below) and scored in the fourth minute from what appeared to be a slightly deflected shot on goal. Neal said: “It was a magnificent goal. We lost to them in the beginning of the season, so it was a little bit of revenge tonight.”

In the 13th minute City scored again as Molino netted from an assist by Luke Boden although it could be argued the goal was more down to a huge defensive mistake by the Kickers central defence. “Kevin Molino is an awful lot of talent,” Heath said. “We knew that when he came here. We know that if we nurture him, if he works hard at his game and gets a little bit of luck, then we are going to have a really good player on our hands.”

Buddy Dyer & Nigel Worrall

A nice touch came at half time as Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer (pictured above)  inducted future soldiers into the various military branches and that topped off the Orlando City sponsored Military Night that saw “The Ruckus”, a group of fans committed to supporting and growing soccer in Orlando, donate $600.57 to Wounded Warriors before the game. The win concludes a testing run of three games in six days for the Lions. A scoreless draw v Rochester 0-0 and a 3-1 victory over Harrisburg City had gone previously and tonight’s victory ensured that Orlando extend their lead at the top of the table. The next home game for Orlando City will be on June 2 against Charlotte with a kick off time set for 7.30 p.m.

Here’s some video and you can see more photos here …

Peter Stokes & Adrian Heath

First place in the USL PRO American Division is on the line tonight as Orlando City take on  at the Citrus Bowl as the undefeated Richmond Kickers at the Citrus Bowl.

Orlando City sits atop the American Division and tonight’s match marks just the second time that Orlando  is facing an opponent they have previously played.  Orlando City is 1-0-0 in second meetings with clubs this season, defeating FC New York 2-1 in New York City after defeating them 3-0 in Orlando but it was the Kickers who handed the Lions their only loss of the season on April 2nd, the opening day of the 2011 USL PRO season.  Both teams have been undefeated since that clash so it promises to be a tight but exciting game as both teams push for victory.

The match will also be a clashing of the league’s top goal scorers.  Orlando’s Max Griffin (pictured above) leads the USL PRO with six goals, but right behind him is Richmond’s Matthew Delicâte with five.  Griffin appears to have the edge in the matchup as four of his six goals have come at the Citrus Bowl.

During halftime, Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer will induct future soldiers into the various branches of the United States military.  Orlando City is sponsoring Military Night in honor of the induction, with ticket specials available to active military, retired veterans, and even ROTC students.

For tickets and information, visit www.orlandocitysoccer.com or call 407-536-5368 today.

Orlando City projected starting line-up (unofficial):

GK – Miguel Gallardo
RB – Mechack Jerome, CB – Rob Valentino, CB – Kieron Bernard, LB – Jack Traynor
RM – Luke Boden, CM – Yordany Alvarez, CM – Lawrence Olum, LM – Lewis Neal
FW – Devorn Jorsling, FW – Max Griffin

Available subs:
Sean Kelley, Dennis Chin, Kevin Molino, Ian Fuller, Demar Stewart, Wes Allen, Erik Ustruck

To the delight of youngsters everywhere, LEGOLAND® Florida today revealed its official opening date: Saturday, October 15, 2011.

Inspired by America’s love affair with all things LEGO®, the new 150-acre theme park will cater to kids ages 2 to 12 with more than 50 “pink-knuckle” rides – from roller coasters to race cars – as well as family focused shows and attractions.

Park officials disclosed the date, a closely guarded secret since the park broke ground last year, to help families already planning vacations in the fall. “I’d estimate 80 percent of the inquiries we’ve received have been about our opening date,” said LEGOLAND Florida sales manager Todd Andrus. “Guests are all but begging to know the date, so they can book their flights and accommodations, and purchase admission tickets.”

The park also unveiled a new online reservations program to make the vacation booking experience even easier. Travelers can now book tickets, accommodations, airlines and rental cars through the LEGOLAND Florida website. “Planning a family vacation can be daunting, especially for families with very young children,” said Andrus, a father and frequent traveler. “Packing alone is enough to overwhelm even the most organized parents. That’s why we designed our online system to be both user-friendly and convenient, allowing parents to book the essentials and then print out everything they’ll need right at home.”

Star Wars weekends begin at Disney’s Hollywood Studios today and there’s a great line up of actors from the movies lined up to attend the events. Today sees Anthony Daniels, who portrayed C-3PO in the films, and Dave Filoni, supervising director of “The Clone Wars” animated TV series at the theme park.

Next week, May 27-29 sees Daniels return alongside Bruce Spence (Tion Medon) and Dee Bradley Baker (Captain Rex of “Clone Wars”) while June 3-5 guests will include Ray Park (Darth Maul), Jeremy Bulloch (Boba Fett) and Matt Lanter (Anakin from “Clone Wars”).

Park returns June 10-12 with Peter Mayhew (Chewbacca) and Tom Kane (Yoda from “Clone Wars”).

Celebrity hosts for the duration of Star Wars Weekends will be James Arnold Taylor (Obi-Wan in “Clone Wars”) and Central Florida’s own Ashley Eckstein (voice of Ahsoka Tano in “Clone Wars.”) She will host”Clone Wars: Behind the Force,” a look at the TV series, and Taylor will star in a one-man show that spotlights voices he has performed professionally, including from “Clone Wars.”

This year’s Star Wars Weekends will be enhanced by yesterday’s reopening of the Star Tours attraction, which began showing off its new storyline and 3-D effects to great public acclaim.

Star Wars Weekends will again include the Hyperspace Hoopla show, trivia contests and about 60 Star Wars characters available for photo opportunities. You can join the celebrities and characters for special shows, panels, presentations and more but remember that Disney’s Hollywood Studios theme park admission is required and availability maybe limited for some events.

George Lucas (above right) was among the first to see the reopening of the Star Tours motion simulator ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios today. The 67-year-old “Star Wars” creator came to the park to celebrate the ride’s 25-year-old story as it has been updated with a new tale, a digital projection system and 3-D effects. Lucas even armed himself with a light saber to share a stage with surprise guest, Disney CEO Robert Iger, (above left),  as Darth Vader and other movie characters watched. “Lord Vader, prepare to meet your maker,” Iger cracked.

Pictured above, left to right, are James Arnold Taylor, voice actor from “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”; Dave Filoni, director of “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”; Iger; Lucas; “Star Wars” character C-3PO; Anthony Daniels, the actor who portrayed C-3PO in “Star Wars”; Ashley Eckstein, voice actor from “Star Wars: The Clone Wars”; and Daniel Logan, who portrayed Boba Fett in “Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones.”

The reopening of the “Star Wars”-themed rides in both Disney Hollywood Studios park in Florida and at Disneyland in California brings a new wave of attention to the franchise, which will get another boost and more than likely gain new fans in 2012 when all six original movies are re-released in theaters as a 3-D feature.

Lucas said the movies have now been around so long that they’ve become “part of the social culture.” “In the end, you do the best you can telling a story, and you hope people will come and see it,” Lucas said  in an interview at the park. “Once in a while, you get something like this, where people love it, they can’t get enough of it, they take it in as part of their lives.”

He said the return of the movies to the big screen will give parents a chance to share with their children something they experienced when they were young. “It’s a chance not only for people to see it in 3-D, but more importantly it’s chance for fathers to take their sons and they’ll say, ‘I saw this when I was your age. You’ve only seen it on television,’” Lucas said. “And if the father isn’t doing that, the grandfather is doing that, because it’s been that long. We’re in our third generation now.”

The Star Tours ride at Disney takes place somewhere between the third and fourth movies in the series … confusing , I know … and it features the droid C-3P0 as reluctant pilot of a star cruiser on a deep space adventure. To keep things fresh, Disney created more than 50 different versions of the five-minute ride, each featuring various “Star Wars” characters and locales, so that riders have a completely different experience each time they go.

Lucas added that he’d been pushing to get the ride updated for years. “I was pretty much hands-on everything,” said Lucas, who’s ridden the revamped attraction a number of times. “When we did the first ride, which was 25 years ago, I have stayed working with Disney over the years. We started like three or four years ago saying now’s the time to do a new re-do on the attraction. We’ve been wanting to do it for a long time.”

Universal Orlando announced today that the blockbuster movie “Despicable Me” will become an attraction at its theme park. The park also announced high-tech enhancements are underway for its Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man attraction.

The “Despicable Me” experience replaces the Jimmy Neutron attraction and will be the first-ever Universal animated film to be transformed into a theme park experience. The attraction will feature super villain Gru and his three adopted daughters Margo, Edith and Agnes as well as the minions.

Guests will embark on 3-D digital adventure with the characters as they descend into Gru’s secret lab.

Universal also announced the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man attraction is getting a makeover.

The attraction at Universal’s Islands of Adventure will get an upgrade to all-new 4K high definition digital animation that will allow guests to experience details they’ve never been able to before – from the flames spewing from Hobgoblin’s pumpkins to the electricity arching through Electro’s body to the stitching on Spider-Man’s gloves.

Both attractions are scheduled to open in 2012 and are being developed by the same award-winning Universal Creative team that has brought all of Universal Orlando’s spectacularly themed attractions to life.  Both will utilize brand-new, highly sophisticated Infitec 3-D projection systems designed to make the experience sharper, clearer and more “real” than ever before.

DESPICABLE ME

With a worldwide gross of more than $540 million, 2010’s “Despicable Me,” from directors Chris Renaud & Pierre Coffin, is the sixth most successful film that Universal Pictures has ever distributed.  It is now the 10^th-biggest animated film in U.S. history.  The 3-D animated adventure thrilled audiences across the globe with its outrageous humor, endearing characters and compelling storyline – all of which guests will be able to experience exclusively at Universal Orlando in 2012.

“Despicable Me” will become the first-ever Universal animated film to be transformed into a theme park experience.  The Universal Creative team is working closely with producer Chris Meledandri, the founder of Illumination Entertainment, to create all-new animation for an all-new “Despicable Me” adventure that places guests right in the center of the action.

Gru, one of the world’s greatest super-villains, is bringing his high-tech empire – and his three adopted daughters – to Universal Studios, and he is looking for all the help he can get.  First, he will transform guests into an army of mischievous, scene-stealing minions.  Then he will train them.  And that kicks off an unforgettable ride experience that creates a hysterical mix of chaos and family fun.

Guests will:

• laugh as they embark on an entirely-new, high-tech 3-D digital adventure with their favorite characters from the film – Gru, daughters Margo, Edith and Agnes, and of course, Gru’s not-so-bright pit crew, the minions

• marvel as they explore Gru’s lair and descend into his secret lab

• shriek as the entire family is transformed into minions

• celebrate as they are swept into a first-ever, minion-inspired, interactive dance party where they can show off their best moves

“The ‘Despicable Me’ attraction is the latest example of how we tap into pop culture’s most compelling stories and turn them into extraordinary theme park entertainment,” said Mark Woodbury, president of Universal Creative.  “This is a perfect fit for Universal Orlando, and we can’t wait to bring this one-of-a-kind experience to life.”

“As we write, design and animate our films at Illumination, it is our singular goal to bring to life endearing and, hopefully, enduring characters,” said Chris Meledandri.  “With the creation of next year’s ‘Despicable Me’ attraction at Universal Orlando, audiences will be able to immerse themselves in Gru’s world for many years to come.”

THE AMAZING ADVENTURES OF SPIDER-MAN

Already one of the most popular and innovative theme park attractions ever created, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Universal’s Islands of Adventure continues to raise the bar for theme park entertainment – combining advanced motion-based ride vehicles, 3-D digital film and live special effects to create an unparalleled ride experience.  It is widely acknowledged as one of the best theme park experiences in the world – and it’s about to get mind-blowingly better.

The newly reanimated, high-definition experience will unfold within the attraction’s towering visual spaces – taking on even larger than larger-than-life proportions.  The new digital animation – combined with the new Infitec system and new set enhancements – will transform what is already one of the most technologically advanced attractions ever created into what will feel like an all-new experience.

Facts about the enhanced ride experience:

• All-new digital animation done in 4K high definition – the highest HD resolution available
• The new HD animation will allow guests to experience details they’ve never been able to before – from the flames spewing from Hobgoblin’s pumpkins to the electricity arching through Electro’s body to the stitching on Spider-Man’s gloves.
• To take advantage of new HD clarity and detail, Universal Orlando is adding entirely new details to the film – and leaving it up to guests to find them.