Wow! An amazing MegaCon 2012 wraps up today and judging from the attendance on Saturday, we can expect another bumper size crowd. I’ve been attending this event off and on for a few years, mainly to see what costumes most folks can dream up year after year, but the sheer volume of people attending the convention yesterday was something I had never seen at this event before.
For those that don’t know, this is THE event of the year for science fiction, fantasy and comic book fans in Orlando. This year has seen some very special guests attend the show, not least of all the legendary Stan Lee (pictured below), the American comic book writer, editor, actor, producer, publisher, television personality, and the former president and chairman of Marvel Comics.
Lee co-created Spider-Man, the Hulk, the X-Men, the Fantastic Four, Iron Man, Thor and many other fictional characters in comic books. He was inducted into the comic book industry’s Will Eisner Comic Book Hall of Fame in 1994 and the Jack Kirby Hall of Fame in 1995.
Also appearing and proving just as popular is Tom Felton, (pictured above left) best known for playing the role of Drace Malfoy in the Harry Potter film series. Other celebrities you can rub shoulders with are Bruce Boxleitner (TRON & Tron:Legacy), Daniel Logan (Star Wars), the lovely Charisma Carpenter (Buffy the Vampire Slayer – pictured above right with me) and many more.
The convention also features hundreds of booths filled with collectibles, comic books, toys, apparel and merchandise and there are some great panel discussions, Q&A sessions, auctions and demonstrations. Among the highlights of the final day will be a Q&A with Stan Lee at 11.30am, a session with Charisma Carpenter and Nicholas Brendan at 2.20pm as they discuss their respective roles on two of Joss Wheldon’s critically claimed TV series and a rowdy afternoon chat with Esiner nominated comics scribe Brian Clevinger who investigates how werewolves, aliens and conspiracy theorists ruin our love lives!
There’s a lot to see and do, so make sure you head along to Orange County Convention Center on International Drive early. And, there’s lots more photos on our www.Facebook.com/FloridaLeisure page.
In 1962, NASA’s Project Mercury made history by sending an American into orbit for the first time. To mark the 50th anniversary of this historic achievement, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is inviting the public to a celebration that will be headlined by Mercury astronauts John Glenn (pictured above left) and Scott Carpenter (pictured above right), the first two Americans to orbit Earth.
The 50th anniversary event, entitled “Celebrating 50 Years of Americans in Orbit,” will feature a full day of activities on Saturday, Feb. 18 including:
United Launch Alliance (ULA) presentation discussing the Atlas rocket used to launch astronauts into space during the Mercury program
Space-themed artwork display created by area students
NASA exhibitions providing guests with a vision of the future of human spaceflight
“On the Shoulders of Giants” Program
“On the Shoulders of Giants” Program featuring John Glenn and Scott Carpenter
The highlight of the anniversary event will begin at 6:30 p.m. when special guests Senator John Glenn and Scott Carpenter participate in a ceremony honoring all of those who made Project Mercury possible. The “On the Shoulders of Giants” program will not only give attendees the opportunity to see the first two Americans in orbit, but it will also allow those who attend to see Glenn and Carpenter sign an artifact to be placed on permanent display. In addition, musical entertainment will be provided before and after the presentation.
Tickets will be provided at Guest Information for the first 750 people interested in the program for bleacher-style seating. Seating will begin at 5:30 p.m. All guests are encouraged to attend the program, and can bring folding chairs or blankets due to the limited availability of seating.
Ticket Information
Guests who spend the day at KSCVC with admission or an annual pass can enjoy each of the celebration events, including the 6:30 p.m. program.
A $15 program-only ticket is available for those who did not purchase admission or an annual pass during the day and will be valid from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m. on February 18, 2012. Tickets can be purchased on the day-of, or by clicking below.
Guests wishing to learn more about Project Mercury may also be interested in adding the “Cape Canaveral: Then & Now” guided tour to their admission package. This tour takes guests to the original Cape Canaveral launch sites associated with the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo programs. For reservations or for more information about the “Cape Canaveral: Then & Now” tour, please call 866-737-5235 or click here.
The “Celebrating 50 Years of Americans in Orbit” event is being sponsored by United Launch Alliance.
Universal Orlando’s Blue Man Group show is taking its unique and captivating brand of live entertainment to another level – complete with a new show environment, new music, new technology and new experiences.
This morning, I got to preview the new show that is opening to the public next Friday, February 24. The show will take guests on an incredible journey where they’ll join the Blue Men as they discover, engage and explore the world’s obsession with cutting-edge technology. New sections include Blue Men interacting with “GiPads” (think Gigantic iPads), a funny and perceptive look at contemporary modes of communication; and a pulsating new finale featuring an original Blue Man Group music score that will have guests jumping to their feet.
“Many of our audience’s favorite pieces, including ‘Paint Drumming’ and ‘Gum Balls/Marshmallows’ will continue to be a part of the production – and yes, the first few rows will still need to wear ponchos,” added Phil Stanton, (pictured above) Blue Man Group co-founder. “But we have developed some brand new elements of the show that provide a larger-than-life, rousing, interactive experience that I hope will really speak to all cultures and give some of our most devoted fans a new reason to check us out again.”
“The heart of our show is, and always has been, the Blue Man, and his inquisitive, wide-eyed take on the world,” said Chris Wink, who co-founded Blue Man Group with Phil Stanton and Matt Goldman. “Our team of artists at Blue Man Productions has created fun, even astounding new visual aspects of the show, and our music team has given us a great new sound. We are really excited to incorporate these elements into the show at Universal Orlando Resort “
“This show will take one of Universal Orlando’s most popular experiences to a whole new level,” said Alice Norsworthy, Executive Vice President of Marketing and Sales for Universal Orlando Resort. “It’s the perfect complement to the incredible entertainment we offer at our destination.”
Several of the signature moments that have made Blue Man Group one of today’s best-loved theatrical productions will remain in the show, although in most cases, they have also been updated. And as always, the production will fuse innovative theatrical spectacle with improvisation and vaudeville-inspired comedy, art, science and irresistible music performed by the Blue Man Group live band.
For more information about Blue Man Group at Universal Orlando Resort – or to purchase tickets – visitwww.universalorlando.com/blueman.
Love is in the air and with a romantic overlay for Valentine’s month, a new segment of the “The Magic, The Memories, and You!” projection show on Cinderella Castle is debuting for Walt Disney World Resort guests. For the first half of Valentine’s month, until Feb. 15, some of the most romantic moments in Disney animation will inspire the special show. The iconic castle in Magic Kingdom will be covered in red roses for one sequence and turned into a beautiful, star-filled sky for another. During part of the show, spectacular stained-glass windows will grace the façades, depicting the stories of Cinderella, Snow White and Belle. “The Magic, The Memories, and You!” is a part of Disney’s “Let the Memories Begin” in 2012.
Also in town today was entertainer Paula Abdul who posed with Minnie Mouse at Disney’s Hollywood Studios park . For the day, Minnie Mouse wore her special “Valentine’s Day” dress, with white hearts replacing her usual white polka dots.
Meanwhile over at SeaWorld, there was some love at the Shamu show….
MegaCon, the science fiction, fantasy and comic book convention returns to Orlando this weekend, Feb. 17 to 19, 2012, at the Orange County Convention Center. The event will feature celebrity appearances and photo-ops, panels and presentations, merchandise and collectibles and more.
The convention also features hundreds of booths filled with collectibles, comic books, toys, apparel and merchandise. There will be a variety of panels, auctions and demonstrations but perhaps most fun will actually be watching all the fans in their costumes!
This year’s line up of celebrity appearances include Stan Lee (Marvel Comics – pictured above), Bruce Boxleitner (TRON & Tron:Legacy), Tom Felton (Harry Potter), Daniel Logan (Star Wars), Charisma Carpenter (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) and many more.
Show Hours:
Friday, Feb. 17 — 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 18 — 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 19 — 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Advance online tickets are $24.49 for the day and $58.04 for all three days. Children 10 and under are free. For more information or to purchase tickets online click here.
First Lady Michelle Obama, Disney Channel stars Debby Ryan (“Jessie”), Roshon Fegan (“Shake It Up”), and Disney XD stars Doc Shaw and Kelsey Chow (“Pair of Kings”) and Olivia Holt (“Kickin’ It”), and the hugely popular “Phineas and Ferb” character Perry the Platypus, along with choreographer Rosero McCoy, joined nearly 1,500 kids and families at an event to get kids moving at Disney’s Magic of Healthy Living & “Let’s Move!” celebration at ESPN Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World Resort earlier today.
During the event, the First Lady, Disney stars and kids danced “The Platypus Walk,” a catchy spy-surf-rock song and dance that encourages fun physical activity. The event marks the second anniversary of “Let’s Move!,” the First Lady’s initiative to inspire healthier living, and Disney’s Magic of Healthy Living, a Company-wide initiative designed to encourage kids and families to lead healthier and active lifestyles.
This morning I wandered along to SeaWorld to take a preview of the new, first of its kind attraction, Turtle Trek. It was an interesting visit that lasted around 45 minutes as I took a look at the new state of the art dome that will house the animated film that guests will no doubt come to love and enjoy.
The fully domed theater has a powerful stereoscopic projection system and that allows for a seamless, 3-D virtual environment that goes all around the dome, including over the heads of guests. A fine silver coating on the dome allows each screen to focus the projection light back toward the guests and each fleck of silver is like a tiny mirror.
The 3D/360 degree film will showcase the epic journey of one sea turtle. No animal’s life journey is more extraordinary than that of a sea turtle. From hatching on a beach and then making a mad dash to open waters to the dangers and hazards they face as they mature and return to the very same beach where they lay their own eggs, their tales of life underwater have in the past been very difficult to tell.
In the same way that Sea World brought attention to the plight of the manatee, the park will showcase the vulnerable sea turtle when the attraction opens in the spring of 2012. The animated film will play its part in this and it goes well beyond the concept of high definition or even virtual reality as each frame of the film has approximately 26 million individual pixels … more than 13 times what is normally considered “high-definition.” The film will be shown at 60 frames per second which is twice as fast as the human mind can register movement and combined with the dome and the powerful projection system, the result will be one of the sharpest and most spectacular 3-D films ever created.
The movie began on the artist’s drawing board and every movement of every creature was animated independently, from our hero, the sea turtle, to thousands of fish right down to the smallest anemone. More than 12 species of sea animals will be brought to life in the movie and the astonishing thing is that the movie is actually two films that run together simultaneously to create the 3-D effect.
The six minute movie really will be incredible and you won’t find it on Netflix anytime soon… as it is nearly 950GB and would take you nearly three months to download even if you had enough storage space available. In fact, to give you some idea of how huge it is, if you were to try and create a full length film at this resolution and complexity, it would take you nearly five years to download!
34 projectors and 360,000 lumens of light will fill the 3-D, 360 degree movie dome and that’s more than 15 times a typical digital movie theater projection system. Nearly a kilometer of fiber optic cable carries the video date to the projectors and the sound system includes 22 discrete audio channels that will be mixed on site. This then allows for 3-D sound and pinpoint placement of audio effects.
Pretty neat eh? Well consider this, your own surround system at home will usually be a 5.1 arrangement with 5 sound channels and 1 channel for low frequency effects… the sound system at TurtleTrek is 18.4 and is rated at an amazing 32,000 watts!
So that’s the dome and the movie but it’s only part of the allure of TurtleTrek as the whole experience will feature two massive, naturalistic saltwater and freshwater habitats which will be the home to both sea turtles and manatees. Turtle Trek will become home to a variety of adult and juvenile sea turtles, including hawksbill, Kemp’s, loggerhead and green sea turtles. Guests will be able to view these exquisite creatures gliding past them from above or from a below water window. The manatees, believed to be four West Indian manatees to be housed in the location, can also be seen from above or below the water as they swim or graze on a leafy snack. Each of the gentle giants in the exhibit will have come from the SeaWorld rescue program.
Sea turtles are truly a global species found in temperate and tropical seas worldwide and they have survived in the seas for over 200 million years. The TurtleTrek residents though, have been deemed non-releasable by the Florida government, due to genetics, illness or being orphaned. Since 1973, SeaWorld Orlando has rescued, cared for and returned hundreds of endangered manatees and since 1980 it has returned more than 1,200 sea turtles back to their natural waters.
It really is a fantastic effort and SeaWorld is determined to continue educating the public while helping ill, injured, orphaned and abandoned animals in need. To date, over four decades of SeaWorld activity has seen more than 20,000 animals rescued by the park’s animal experts including whales, dolphins, sea lions, manatees, sea turtles and birds… essentially, the equivalent of helping one animal a day, everyday, for 45 years. It’s why we at Florida Leisure are proud to support SeaWorld and their incredible staff. It’s also why we emphasize a visit to SeaWorld Orlando as both adults and children benefit from the experience. Not only is it fun, but it is very educational and you can’t help but learn something about the world we live in.
We look forward to the opening of TurtleTrek and look forward to bringing you more news and stories from SeaWorld Orlando… so keep checking back on this blog every week!
The Kissimmee Valley Livestock Show and Osceola County Fair will kick off with a spectacular Demolition Derby on Opening Day, tomorrow, Friday, February 10 at 7 P.M. The hard hitting, fast paced action is an interesting start to the fair that runs through 19th February and one that is sure to be a lot of fun. If you’ve not been to a Demolition Derby then you’ll enjoy watching as vehicles deliberately smash and crash into one another with the last driver with an operation vehicle is awarded the victory!
A mini-car derby heat will also take place and spectators will have a chance to win prizes during the fan participation games. This exciting show is only $5.00 per person plus General Fair Admission of $5.00 for Adults and $3.00 for Seniors and Children 5 – 11, Kids 4 and under are free. Senior Citizens (60+) are free on Opening Day!
Additional Entertainment Acts for the 2012 Fair include the Slack-wire Sam Show, World renowned Ventriloquist, Comedian and Singer Sylvia Fletcher, Eudora Farms Exotic Petting Zoo, Nojoe’s Clown Circus, Master of the Chainsaw Brian Ruth and much more.
Strates Shows Midway features over 80 rides, games and shows. The new Skyflyer is a vertical swing ride, one of three new rides to debut at the Fair.
Traditional Fair favorites such as the Pie Eating contest, Baby Show, Children’s Pet show and Tractor Pull will return by popular demand. There will also be art and craft exhibits entered by local residents and 4-H members. Livestock Shows and Sales will take place in the KVLS Pavilion.
The Fair is being held at Osceola Heritage Park, 1911 Kissimmee Valley Lane, Kissimmee.
In perhaps one of the most natural partnerships there possibly could be, Orlando City Soccer Club and Legoland Florida today announced a multi-year partnership that reinforces the interest in bringing soccer to the Central Florida community.
Officially, Legoland Florida now becomes the team’s Official Family Theme Park but it’s really much more than that as there are big advantages for both partners in the arrangement. Legoland will now enjoy several promotional and advertising opportunities, partnership in community events, signage at the Orlando City Youth Academy, and youth soccer mini camps at the park.
“With our joint focus on encouraging families with children to play their part and get involved in activities from the soccer pitch to the rides at LEGOLAND, partnering with Orlando City Soccer is an obvious choice for us,” said Adrian Jones, general manager of LEGOLAND Florida. “As Central Florida’s newest family theme park, we are thrilled to be partnering with Central Florida’s newest professional sports organization.”
For Orlando City, who in December announced its acquisition of controlling interest in Seminole Soccer Complex and Florida Soccer Alliance (FSA) youth club, now renamed Orlando City Youth Academy, there is the chance to tap into the ever growing Lego market of young children and their families.
“We are delighted to announce this partnership with LEGOLAND Florida. Their focus on family fun for young children is a perfect fit for our growing footprint in the youth soccer marketplace. I hope that many of our fans and young players will be visiting this exciting new Central Florida attraction,” said Phil Rawlins, president of Orlando City Soccer.
Orlando City now possesses the ultimate soccer development pyramid in Florida, starting with kids at age 5 through to the professionals in the USL PRO team and now, a commercial link up that will continue to develop interest in the game for years to come.
At the first home game of the regular season on April 15, LEGOLAND Florida will take part in the Opening Ceremonies honoring youth soccer organizations throughout Central Florida.
Super Bowl XLVI MVP and New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning takes a celebratory ride with Mickey Mouse at Magic Kingdom this afternoon.
After leading his team to a game-winning drive and the Super Bowl championship Sunday night, New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning led another drive Monday: down Main Street, U.S.A. to cheering fans at Walt Disney World Resort.
“I’m going to Disney World!” proclaimed Manning Sunday shortly after his team scored a dramatic 21-17 win over the New England Patriots to capture Super Bowl XLVI in Indianapolis. In a gala parade Monday at Magic Kingdom, Manning made good on that promise, waving and smiling alongside Mickey Mouse from a red convertible in the shadow of Cinderella Castle.
Fans of the Giants and Manning, including those sporting team jerseys Monday, got to see their hero up-close in the place where memories are made. New York Giants balloons mixed in with red, white and blue balloons along the parade route, Mickey Mouse was joined by other Disney characters and confetti in the shape of the Lombardi Trophy (awarded to the NFL champion) rained down on the happy scene. Manning was joined in the Magic Kingdom by NFL Youth football players.
Manning – who was named the game’s MVP — is no stranger to storybook finishes. Sunday’s late, game-winning drive marked the seventh fourth-quarter comeback Manning led this season. His 15 fourth quarter touchdown passes set an NFL single-season record.
Manning’s “I’m going to Disney World!” — anchoring one of TV’s most enduring and iconic Super Bowl commercials — was captured seconds after the final whistle. Monday’s visit marked his second “What’s Next…?” appearance in the Disney commercial. In 2008, Manning was celebrated following the Giants’ 17-14 upset win over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII.
This latest commercial is the 45th in a series that began in 1987 following Super Bowl XXI. The first “I’m going to Disney World” commercial, featuring New York Giants quarterback Phil Simms, was regarded as a groundbreaking concept – a produced national commercial involving a current event, airing on major networks within hours of its conclusion. Manning again joined a lineup of people from sports and beyond who have celebrated milestone accomplishments in “I’m going to Disney World” commercials.
