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

Military charities Welcome Back Veterans and the American Freedom Foundation will benefit at the Mecum Auction as two custom motorcycles go under the hammer.

The MLB Stars and Stripes – a 2011 Bourget Radius Python 330 Super Stretch Chopper (Lot W195) – will cross the auction block on Wed., Jan. 25 at 5:30 p.m.  Designed and built by Bourget’s Bike Works for New Era Caps, the motorcycle was unveiled during Daytona Bike Week 2011 and toured the country visiting MLB stadiums and bike rallies.  It features a Pearl White-based all-American baseball/armed services theme, including a Wilson baseball-glove saddle, Major League club logos and strategically placed official baseballs.  The bike runs a 124 CI S&S V-twin engine with diamond cut heads.

All proceeds from this chopper sale will benefit Welcome Back Veterans, an organization committed to providing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment to veterans and their families.  For more information, visit www.welcomebackveterans.org.

Mecum will also offer a 2005 Big Bear Choppers Venom ProStreet bike (Lot T190.1) on Thurs., Jan. 26 at 5:20 p.m.  Featuring distinct character and style, the bike has a large diameter single radius downtube, the famous arched Venom swingarm, a low 23.5 inch seat and standard neck height with a 40 degree rake.  Additional components include the proprietary low vibration 100 SMOOTH polished engine in front for a Baker 6-speed overdrive transmission, exclusive primary drive, and chrome frontend and controls.

Proceeds from the Big Bear Venom will go to the American Freedom Foundation, Inc., a 501(c)3 public benefit corporation co-founded by SMA (retired) Jack L. Tilley whose mission is to honor the men and women of America’s armed forces and raise awareness for their service and sacrifice, and raise money for organizations that serve and support our veterans, active duty military and their families.  Visit www.americanfreedomfoundation.org for more information.

NASCAR driver Ken Schrader will sign autographs on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012 from 2-3 p.m. during the annual Mecum Kissimmee Auction at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee.

More than 2,000 collector cars will cross the block at Mecum’s six-day Kissimmee auction Jan. 24-29, including the 2011 Federated Auto Parts 300 Pace Car – a 2010 Chevrolet Camaro RS/SS (Lot S173).  Schrader, who returns to the NASCAR Sprint Series in 2012 driving the #32 Federated Auto Parts Ford, will pilot this official pace car across the auction block on national television, where Mecum will offer it to bidders on Jan. 28 around 5 p.m.

Patterned after the legendary Z11 Indy 500 Pace Car and built by the “Two Guys Garage” TV crew, the 2010 Camaro RS/SS features a Whipple supercharger, NHRA-approved roll bar, controls for the Pace Car strobe lighting system and autographed dash.

Federated Auto Parts has participated in the past three Mecum Kissimmee Auctions as part of their Federated/Standard(r) “Dream Car Sweepstakes” program.  This annual promotion awards one lucky Federated technician or counterperson with an all-expenses paid trip to the Mecum Kissimmee Auction, plus $15,000 to spend on a car during the event.  This year’s winner is Marc Duebber, owner of Duebber’s Automotive Service Center in Cincinnati, Ohio.

The annual Kissimmee event will kick off the 2012 auction season for Mecum as they celebrate 25 years in business.  For a complete consignment list, visit www.Mecum.com and click on the Kissimmee Auction link.  The auction will broadcast with four days of live national TV coverage on Discovery’s Velocity network during the “Mecum Auto Auctions: Muscle Cars & More” show.

Tickets are available in advance or at the door for $15.  For additional consignment and bidder information, call 262.275.5050 or visit www.Mecum.com.

The annual Mecum Kissimmee Auction will kick off next week at Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee and the 2012 auction season is a big one for Mecum as they celebrate 25 years in business.

This years auction will feature close to 2,000 collector cars crossing the auction block from Jan. 24 thru Jan 29, and as usual, there’s some pretty amazing machinery to be had by some lucky collectors.

First there will be the legendary 1961 Chevrolet Corvette Gulf Oil Race Car, a SCCA B-Production National Championship winner driven by Dr. Dick Thompson, “The Flying Dentist,” and the most dominant Corvette racer of its time.  Ordered new by Don Yenko for Grady Davis, VP of Gulf Oil, this Corvette boasts the RPO354 fuel-injected 283/315 HP engine, Borg Warner 4-speed transmission, Positraction rear end, heavy duty brakes and suspension, and quick steering adaptor.  This Corvette has earned the 2011 NCRS American Heritage Award, been part of the Bloomington Gold Special Collection and has been inducted into the Corvette Hall of Fame and the Bloomington Gold Hall of Fame.

In addition to the high-quality Corvettes, muscle cars and exotics being offered, Mecum will present more than 1,500 pieces of automotive memorabilia and one of the most interesting lots will be Miss America VIII.

Miss America VIII, Gar Wood’s two-time Harmsworth Trophy winning race boat, was the winner of the coveted Harmsworth Trophy in 1929 and 1931.  Miss America VIII is fitted with its original one-off Miller V16 1113 CI engines, which were specially designed for Miss America VIII by the legendary Indy car and engine builder, Harry Miller, to break the World’s Speed Record.  Regarded as the most valuable wooden boat offered by Mecum so far, Miss America VIII is a collectible of historic proportions.

“Since the final gavel fell at last year’s event, enthusiasts and collectors have been anxiously awaiting our larger-than-life Kissimmee Auction, which we have expanded once again to encompass six full days,” said President Dana Mecum.  “We are off and running with an incredible inventory of cars for this year’s event, including a staggering group of investment-grade Corvettes, muscle cars and several collections offered at no reserve.  Collectors flock to Florida for Mecum’s fast-paced, customer-centered auctions, and as last year proved and this year promises, Kissimmee will again be the must-attend collector car event in January.”

For a complete consignment list, visit www.Mecum.com and click on the Kissimmee Auction link.

Mecum’s Kissimmee Auction takes place at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Fla. with tickets available in advance or at the door for $15.  The auction will broadcast with four days of live national TV coverage on Discovery’s all new Velocity network during the “Mecum Auto Auctions: Muscle Cars & More” show.

For additional consignment and bidder information, call 262.275.5050 or visit www.Mecum.com.

Here’s some video from last year’s event:

Air Force One touched down at Orlando International Airport at 11:36 a.m., four minutes early, and  the president was greeted by a crowd of about 75 supporters. Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who had been in Washington at the National Conference of Mayors, and Commerce Secretary Jon Bryson flew with Obama before they then set off for the “Happiest Place on Earth”, Walt Disney World.

Ruben Perez, a Cuban-American restaurateur who operates the Zsa Zsa Café at Orlando International Airport and Yayas in Orlando opened proceedings at Magic Kingdom before introducing the President and he said: “Anything that increases travel to Orlando is good for all our businesses.”

The President took the stage at 12.40pm and by 12.53pm it was all over as he amplified an executive order that he had issued earlier in the day. Available here… 2012visitor.eo.rel

The order was really as much an appeal to Brazilians and their dollars as it was to Florida voters and their jobs. With Cinderella’s Castle rising in the background, the president’s speech touched on procedures to speed up the issuance of tourist visas to citizens of Brazil and China, who currently wait months to get permission to travel to the United States.

“People want to come here. And China and Brazil are two of the countries with the biggest backlogs,” he said. “So this is what it’s all about – telling the world that America is open for business,” he added.

The executive order mandates a 40 percent increase in personnel to Brazil and China over the next 12 months and requires that that 80 percent of “nonimmigrant visa” applicants be interviewed within three weeks. The plan, as explained by the White House, would dispatch more than 100 additional State Department employees to Brazil and China, and more broadly expand a program that allows “low-risk” international visitors to get through airports more smoothly.

Obama assured the “invitees only” 220 strong crowd that the United States would continue to “protect our borders” even as it fosters a more welcoming environment for tourists.

There was room for some brevity as Obama started his comments by recognizing Mickey Mouse as he quipped: “It’s always nice to meet someone who has bigger ears than me,”

The speech was simulcast at the Hall of Presidents in Liberty visitors for Disney visitors, who were kept away from the speech site, and in backstage areas so that Disney cast members could watch.

Central Florida’s unemployment rate, just less than 10 percent, still is worse than the national average. So a bigger flow of tourists and their money from Brazil, which has a relatively strong economy, means support for the region’s still dominant industry.

Obama is the fourth sitting president to visit a Walt Disney World park, the first since George H.W. Bush in 1991 and he was the first to visit the Magic Kingdom since Jimmy Carter in 1978.  He left with a message ringing in the ears of the travel industry “I want the United States to be the top tourist destination in the world.”

So what do we make of it all?

Well, while any message that is pro tourism is to be welcomed, it really felt a very staged managed affair with only select dignitaries invited to hear a very well rehearsed message. OK, so we’re going to make it easier for people in certain parts of the world to enter the United States but if you ask any British visitor who has to meet the ESTA requirements, they’ll say it is still too cumbersome an affair and essentially this will be the program that will be rolled out on a wider scale.

Further, there are still many issues at immigration that need to be resolved as visitors often have long lines to encounter after a long and tiring journey. Do the people who currently visit really feel welcomed the moment they touch down on US soil? Not from what I hear.

And then, here’s another question… how does any of this help domestic tourism? No mention of how he and his administration are actually helping everyday people to be able to afford vacations and to keep the money flowing around.

At the end of the day, I can’t help but think it was a rather pointless exercise. Was it really necessary to take a trip to Orlando just to spend 13 minutes on stage talking about tourism? Surely that could have been done without leaving his desk in Washington?

Further, I pour scorn on any stage managed event of this nature anyway. Apart from one restaurant owner, how many other people who actually own and run tourism businesses were actually invited? It’s all very well inviting chosen dignitaries who claim to represent the industry but ultimately they’re not the people on the shop floor interacting with the visitors and guests.

Au revoir Mr. President. Can’t wait for your next visit.

Obama’s talk will begin at 12:35 p.m. ET and the best place to view it is via the live video that will be streamed right here:

The live video stream is also available at WhiteHouse.gov/live.

In the next hour President Obama will arrive in Orlando. He will make his way to Walt Disney World  where he will make a speech to Cast Members and his remarks are not open to the public.  In fact, an invitation is required and  he will discuss ways to boost tourism and travel and other opportunities for the Orlando area.

• Main Street U.S.A., including shops like the Emporium, will be closed to guests from the time of park opening to late afternoon.
• When Magic Kingdom guests arrive, they will be directed through alternate routes to enjoy other areas of the park.
• Main Street U.S.A will open in time for the “Celebrate A Dream Come True Parade” at 3:30pm.
• All Walt Disney World transportation will operate on a normal basis, but delays are expected.
• Package pickup will operate as normal.  Baby Care and First Aid will be moved to the entrance of Space Mountain.

All four theme parks, including Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom will be affected by the Presidential visit.  All parks will feature longer operating hours, with extended hours in the morning for Animal Kingdom, and extended hours in the evening for Epcot and Hollywood Studios.  Plus, a special fireworks show dubbed “Rock the Night!” is planned at 7pm at Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

We’ll be bringing you updates throughout the day on President Obama’s visit to Magic Kingdom today but we have secured a copy of what he is going to say ahead of time from the Press Secretary as below.

Office of the Press Secretary
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 19, 2012

This morning, President Obama will sign an Executive Order and announce new initiatives to significantly increase travel and tourism in the United States. The U.S. tourism and travel industry is a substantial component of U.S. GDP and employment, representing 2.7% of GDP and 7.5 million jobs in 2010 – with international travel to the United States supporting 1.2 million jobs alone. The travel and tourism industry projects that more than 1 million American jobs could be created over the next decade if the U.S. increased its share of the international travel market. Today’s announcement offers important steps to bolster job creation through a range of steps to better promote the United States as a tourism destination and improve secure visa processing. This is the most recent of a series of executive actions the President has announced to put Americans back to work and strengthen the U.S. economy.

“Every year, tens of millions of tourists from all over the world come and visit America. And the more folks who visit America, the more Americans we get back to work. We need to help businesses all across the country grow and create jobs; compete and win. That’s how we’re going to rebuild an economy where hard work pays off, where responsibility is rewarded, and where anyone can make it if they try,” said President Obama.

According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, international travel resulted in $134 billion in U.S. exports in 2010 and is the nation’s largest service export industry, with 7% of total exports and 24% of service exports. The Bureau of Economic Analysis estimates that every additional 65 international visitors to the United States can generate enough exports to support an additional travel and tourism-related job. According to the travel industry and Bureau of Economic Analysis, international travel is particularly important as overseas or “long-haul” travelers spend on average $4,000 on each visit.

Today’s announcement calls for a national strategy to make the United States the world’s top travel and tourism destination, as part of a comprehensive effort to spur job creation. The number of travelers from emerging economies with growing middle classes – such as China, Brazil, and India – is projected to grow by 135%, 274%, and 50% respectively by 2016 when compared to 2010.  Nationals from these three countries contributed approximately $15 billion dollars and thousands of jobs to the U.S. economy in 2010.  In addition, Chinese and Brazilian tourists currently spend more than $6,000 and $5,000 respectively each, per trip, according to the Department of Commerce. The Department of State has made tremendous progress in processing non-immigrant visas from these key markets, allowing them to issue more than 7.5 million visas in the last fiscal year, a 17% increase from the previous fiscal year. In the 2011 fiscal year, consular officers adjudicated more than a million visa applications in China and more than 800,000 in Brazil, representing 34 % growth in China and 42% growth in Brazil. Improving visa processing capacity for China and Brazil is particularly important because of this growth.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS:

Today’s Executive Order charges several agencies to take part in efforts to increase travel and tourism in the United States:
•         The Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior will be charged with:
o   Co-leading an interagency task force to develop recommendations for a National Travel & Tourism Strategy to promote domestic and international travel opportunities throughout the United States, thereby expanding job creation. This Task Force will coordinate with the Corporation for Travel Promotion (currently doing business as BrandUSA), a non-profit corporation established by Congress through the Travel Promotion Act of 2009 to promote travel to the United States, and the Tourism Policy Council to ensure private sector participation and cross-agency coordination.
o   A particular focus of the Task Force will be on strategies for increasing tourism and recreation jobs by promoting visits to our national treasures. The Department of the Interior manages iconic destinations in our national parks, wildlife refuges, cultural and historic sites, monuments and other public lands that attract travelers from around the country and the globe. In 2010, more than 400 million visits were made by American and international travelers to these lands, contributing nearly $50 billion in economic activity and 400,000 jobs. Eco-tourism and outdoor recreation also have an outsize impact on rural economies, particularly in Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, Utah and Wyoming.
•         The Department of State and the Department of Homeland Security will be charged with:
o   Increasing non-immigrant visa processing capacity in China and Brazil by 40% in 2012.
o   Ensuring that 80% of non-immigrant visa applicants are interviewed within three weeks of receipt of application.
o   Increasing efforts to expand the Visa Waiver Program and travel by nationals eligible to participate in the Visa Waiver Program, and expanding reciprocal trusted travel programs for expedited travel (such as the Global Entry program).
•         The Department of Commerce will be charged with:
o   Establishing and maintaining a publicly available website with key information and statistics from across the Federal Government to assist industry and travelers in understanding visa processes in key travel and tourism markets, and entry times into the United States.

Additional initiatives announced today include:
•         New Pilot Program and Rule Change for Visa Processing in China and Brazil:
o   Today, the Departments of State and Homeland Security announced a pilot program to simplify and speed up the non-immigrant visa process for certain applicants, including the ability to waive interviews for some very low-risk applicants, such as individuals from any country renewing non-immigrant visas, or, in Brazil, younger or older first-time applicants. Link to fact sheet HERE for more information.
•         Final Rule to Expand and Make the Global Entry Program Permanent:
o   Global Entry is a program within the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Protection that was created as a pilot in 2008 to facilitate expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States. Through a final rule, the Administration will expand and make the Global Entry program permanent. Due in part to innovative public-private partnerships, the Global Entry program now has more than 246,000 members, more than one million trusted travelers have Global Entry benefits, and efforts are underway to expand enrollment even further. There are currently 131 Global Entry kiosks at 20 airports and since launching, members have used Global Entry kiosks over 1.7 million times, saving CBP officers over 36,450 inspection hours—staff hours that CBP has then re-allocated to expedite regular passenger queues. This final rule will allow the program to be expanded to an additional 4 airports in Minneapolis, Charlotte, Denver and Phoenix, making the Global Entry program and expedited clearance available in airports that service approximately 97% of international travelers.
•         Appoint new members to the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board:
o   A new membership of 32 private sector CEOs have been appointed by Commerce Secretary Bryson to serve on the U.S. Travel and Tourism Advisory Board. The Advisory Board will build upon the work undertaken by the past Board addressing travel facilitation, visa policy, improving the international travel entry experience, aviation security, energy security, crisis communications and research and data, among other issues. This Board consists of corporate executives across the nation, representing all aspects of the travel and tourism industry, who are appointed to a two-year term to advise the Secretary of Commerce on policies affecting the travel and tourism industry. See the full list of new members HERE.
•         Nomination of Taiwan to Visa Waiver Program:
o   Currently, more than 60% of international tourists do not require a U.S. visa, in most cases because they travel under the Visa Waiver Program.  The Secretary of State has formally requested that the Secretary of Homeland Security consider Taiwan for the Visa Waiver Program. Over the past year, Taiwan has undertaken significant efforts to improve its law enforcement and document security standards to meet the strict requirements for Visa Waiver Program eligibility. Under the Visa Waiver Program, participating nationals can travel to the United States for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without obtaining a visa. The program was established to promote travel and tourism with our foreign partners, stimulate the tourism industry, and permit the Department of State to focus consular resources in other areas. Since November 2008, the Department of Homeland Security has added nine countries to the Visa Waiver Program, bringing the program total to 36 countries.

The EXECUTIVE ORDER – ESTABLISHING VISA AND FOREIGN VISITOR PROCESSING GOALS AND THE TASK FORCE ON TRAVEL AND COMPETITIVENESS is available here. 2012visitor.eo.rel

Some of Major League Baseball’s marquee teams, including the reigning World Series Champion St. Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees, will take on the Atlanta Braves at Walt Disney World during spring training in 2012.

The Cardinals and Yankees, as well as the New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies, make up the core of the Braves’ 18-game home schedule at Champion Stadium at ESPN Wide World of Sports complex at Disney. The Cardinals face the Braves on March 19. The Yankees visit twice, Saturday March 10 and Wednesday March 28, and the New York Mets come in three times, March 9 and 23 and the spring home finale April 2. Finally, the Phillies will face the Braves on April 1.

The Braves report to the complex for two weeks of training in mid-February, then begin play March 3 against the Detroit Tigers, who return to Disney for a Saturday matchup on March 31. The recently renamed Miami Marlins will sport their new uniforms at Disney on March 22.

The schedule features three night games under the lights at Champion Stadium – the Washington Nationals on March 14 and the Houston Astros March 16 and 30.

Each Braves spring training game has a unique Disney feel with family-oriented fun, including in-game entertainment, Disney character appearances and on-field fan experiences.  And in what has become a Disney tradition, kids will again have the opportunity to run the bases after every game.

It’s a great time to be visiting the Orlando area and all you need to make the complete package is your own “home away from home,” a Florida Leisure Vacation Home! Our vacation homes are located just 10 minutes from the Wide World of Sports complex.

The 2012 Atlanta Braves Spring Training home schedule follows.

2012 Atlanta Braves Spring Training Home Schedule

*SS – denotes split squad

President Barack Obama is visiting Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom this Thursday 19th January and in his short time here, it is believed he will unveil a new policy for boosting tourism to the United States.  Cinderella Castle is the chosen backdrop sometime around mid-day and this event is sure to be many election year visits by the president to Florida.

Specifics of his tourism plan are hazy but there is one topic at the top of the political wish list for Central Florida tourism: visa reform. The tourism industry has been pushing Congress and Obama to make travel to the U.S. easier for visitors from emerging nations such as Brazil, India and China, while visitors from the UK and Europe are sure to hope for an easier entry to the country as well.

Blain Rethmeier, senior vice president of public affairs at the U.S. Travel Association said “We understand that he [Obama] is going to trumpet the value of travel generally and improve facilitation for international travel, especially from China and Brazil.”

A recent congressional appropriations bill gave the U.S. secretary of state authority to develop a pilot program using videoconference technology to conduct visa interviews for leisure and business travelers. Such video conferences would be high on Disney’s priority list, as they would likely cut the overall expense of coming to Orlando to see the Mouse.

A congressional aide, not authorized to speak on the record, said Capitol Hill expects the White House to make permanent a program called Global Entry, which cuts down clearance times at U.S. Customs checkpoints for “pre-approved, low-risk travelers” arriving in this country.

Air Force One is expected to land at Orlando International Airport late-morning Thursday, with the president’s motorcade taking him directly to Disney World. He is expected to leave Central Florida less than three hours later.

Disney is bracing for heavy security around the Magic Kingdom and has canceled extra hours in the park for guests staying in its hotels, pushed back the start time of a daily parade to move it further away from Obama’s visit, and prohibited employees from using entrance passes for the day. It has also imposed parking restrictions at a nearby hotel, Disney’s Contemporary Resort, which will be used as a staging area for news media.

At the same time, Disney has extended operating hours and added entertainment at its three other parks in hopes of steering guests away from the Magic Kingdom. Resort workers have also distributed in-room letters to people staying in Disney hotels, advising them of the changes.

Mid-January is one of the slowest periods of the year for Disney World and the region’s other theme parks but there are still likely to be tens of thousands of tourists in the Magic Kingdom when Obama delivers his speech. We’ll keep you informed…

We’re excited to share the first of many “webisodes” about the different aspects of TurtleTrek, opening this spring at SeaWorld Orlando.  From this overview of the dome construction to animation and the animals you’ll find here, these videos will give you an insider’s look into how this amazing attraction will come to life.

Remember, TurtleTrek is going to be the world’s first 3D, 360-degree domed theater experience that takes you on a sea turtle’s incredible journey and invites you to become an everyday hero.

Take a look…