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

We made an early start today to watch as space shuttle Discovery, NASA’s fleet leader and the world’s most flown spacecraft, lifted off for the last time to be delivered to the Smithsonian for its permanent display.

Discovery took off riding piggyback on a NASA Shuttle Carrier aircraft, a modified Boeing 747, from Kennedy Space Center just after dawn at 6:58 a.m. ET.  She departed the runway and headed south along the Florida coastline and beach to give the public a last chance to see the shuttle in flight. It was a bittersweet moment as she came into view.

We were stationed at Patrick Air Force Base and it was the perfect location as Discovery flew by and then made a sweeping circle back over the Base before heading north for a 3.5 hour journey to Washington. The spacecraft will be displayed in Virginia at the Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center, an annex of the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum. Here’s some video:

This weekend sees the Celebration Exotic Car Festival come to Orlando again. The event runs April 12-15, 2012 and it will be the 9th annual Celebration Exotic Car Festival children’s charity event!

This four-day event showcases North America’s largest collection of exotic cars, race cars and iconic Hollywood movie cars, coming together to help children with life threatening medical conditions. Guests can experience two exhilarating track days at the world famous Daytona International Speedway, rock out at a waterside concert, enjoy the world class exotic car concourse set along the waterfront of Celebration, meet world famous chefs at the Food and Wine at Portofino event, participate in the acclaimed road rally, and hit the links with television, movie and sports celebrities during the Shooter McGavin Celebrity Golf Tournament!

The full list of events is as follows:

Thursday April 12th and Friday April 13th-Daytona, FL
Track Day at Daytona-8:00 am-4:30 pm

Drive your exotic on the most famous race track in the world! For two days, legendary Daytona International Speedway will be ours. We will have the full 24 hour road course, and all exotic cars are welcome! Instructors will be available throughout the event, and are required for novice drivers and all drivers new to the Daytona track.
Details: http://celebrationexoticcars.com/2012/event/track-day

Friday April 13th-Celebration, FL
Prime Time BBQ-Dinner-7:00 PM
Beautiful Lakeside Park at downtown Celebration will host our Friday night party. Enjoy an incredible steak, prime rib and BBQ dinner, overlooking the lake and downtown Celebration, then rock the night away with New York’s ultimate party band, Prime Time. Lakeside Park is a very short stroll along the boardwalk from the downtown Celebration area, right across the lake from the Celebration Hotel.

Concours car placement starts at 2pm on Friday, so you can situate your car for the weekend and just walk over and party! Security is provided nonstop from Friday afternoon until Sunday afternoon.
Details: http://celebrationexoticcars.com/2012/event/lakeside-dinner

Saturday April 14th-Celebration, FL
Concours of Exotic Cars-10:00 am-4:00 pm
(spectators welcome-FREE)

Get up close to 250 of the world’s most exotic cars, race cars and Hollywood movie cars, all lined up for concours judging along Celebration’s spectacular lakefront promenade in this premier concours event. Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini, Lotus, Aston Martin, Bugatti, Spyker, Saleen, McLaren, Pantera, DeLorean, and other ultra-exotic marquees will be displayed and judged, culminating with an awards presentation starting at 3pm, where the owners will drive their winning cars across the red carpet to receive their trophy!
Details: http://celebrationexoticcars.com/2012/event/concours

Food & Wine at Portofino
Loews Portofino Bay Hotel-Universal Orlando-7:00-11:00 pm
Details: http://celebrationexoticcars.com/2012/event/portofino-dinner

Sunday April 15th-Celebration, FL
Exotic Car Rally-10:00 am
(Spectators welcome-FREE)
Join us Sunday morning for a fun and competitive rally! Following a drivers meeting and Continental Breakfast, drive your exotic car as it was meant to be driven, with a Police escort to get us on our way. See the sights and enjoy the wide open roads of Central Florida! Wrapping up the event, enjoy a fantastic awards luncheon back at Cafe D’Antonio in Celebration.
Details: http://celebrationexoticcars.com/2012/event/rally

Accommodation

If you’re still looking for accommodation for the event, then we have some availability in our vacation rental homes, just a few minutes drive from Celebration. Just call 407-870-1600 / 1-800 – 760-1114 or visit www.FloridaLeisure.com

In 1962, NASA’s Project Mercury made history by sending an American into orbit for the first time. To mark the 50^th 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 50^th 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.

Here’s some video:

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.

Here’s some video:

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

Today is Small Business Saturday. An American shopping holiday created by American Express that was first celebrated on November 27, 2010 and it is a counterpart to Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which feature big box retailers and e-commerce stores respectfully.  The idea being, that by contrast,  holiday shoppers are encouraged to patronize brick and mortar businesses that are both small and local.

Small business is an important cog in the economy and Florida Leisure Vacation Homes is proud to be classed as a small business that helps families enjoy great vacations in Orlando.

In the US, small business (less than 500 employees) accounts for around half the GDP and more than half the employment. Regarding small business, the top job provider is those with fewer than 10 employees and those with 10 or more but fewer than 20 employees come in as the second, and those with 20 or more but fewer than 100 employees come in as the third. The most recent data shows firms with less than 20 employees account for slightly more than 18% of the employment and according to “The Family Business Review,” there are approximately 17 million sole-proprietorships in the US. It can be argued that a sole-proprietorship (an unincorporated business owned by a single person) is a type of family business” and “there are 22 million small businesses  in the US and approximately 14,000 big businesses.” Also, it has been found that small businesses created the most new jobs in communities.

We’re proud to be classed as a small business as small business is very often able to deliver a better product, service and experience to the customer. Small business is more flexible and can bring new ideas to the table far quicker than it’s cumbersome counterpart, big business… and we only have to look at the role big business has played in the current economy to know that big isn’t better.

To all small businesses around the country, we salute you.

The last time a visitor was permitted to take a look in the Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at Kennedy Space Center was on 13 December 1978 so we were delighted to be among the first to take a tour of the building since then. Kennedy Space Center opened its doors on 1st November 2011 to visitors on the KSC Up-Close Tour and it was an opportunity to see the building that was built specifically for the assembly of the massive Saturn V rocket, which stood at 363 feet.

The building really is huge and that’s the first impression you get as you disembark your tour bus from Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. The building measures 525 feet tall (160 meters), 716 feet long (218 meters) and 518 feet wide (158 meters.) Immediately you eye is drawn to the American flag that is painted on the side of the VAB. Over 6,000 gallons were needed when the flag was painted in 1976 and it measures 209 feet by 110 feet (64 x 33.5 meters).  The blue field is the size of a regulation basketball court and each stripe on the flag is as big as the tour buses used to transport visitors around KSC at approximately 9 feet (2.7 meters) wide. For good measure, each of the stars on the flag is 6 feet (1,83 meters) across and the NASA insignia or “meatball” was added in 1998, replacing the star logo of America’s bicentennial.

The tour is a really great way to get up close and personal with Kennedy Space Center and this once in a lifetime opportunity is made even more special, for a very limited time, as guests may get to see a space shuttle orbiter inside the VAB as they are being prepared for display in their new homes in Los Angeles, CA., Washington D.C. and Florida.

The VAB is a special building and guests will be able to walk alongside the edge of the Transfer Aisle while a tour guide provides a brief overview of the work done inside there. Another highlight is a chance to see the 456 foot tall high bay doors and the two 325 ton bridge cranes that were used to lift the shuttle orbiters and mate them to their external tank and solid rocket boosters with pinpoint accuracy. Signage also shows prospective operations that will take place within the VAB for NASA’s newest space exploration program, Space Launch System, or SLS. Also, visitors can see the banners that were signed by thousands of KSC workers showing support for each of the space shuttle missions.

More photos at Facebook.com/FloridaLeisure and here’s some video…