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

The newly remodeled Lego Imagination Center reopened on Tuesday so I went along to take a look at what the new store now looks like. The store is larger and features some new Disney Lego sculptures such as Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs seen below. (To see larger images simply click on the picture.)

There’s a large model of Maleficent in her dragon form on the east side of the store and a brave Lego man on horseback who seems ready for the fight while close by is the outside play area which has swapped sides from where it was before.

Facing the Downtown Disney lake  is a model of Buzz and Woody from Toy Story as they blast off.

Meanwhile inside the store it appears better laid out and much easier to get around. The only large sculpture to be found indoors now is the one you see below of Woody and there’s a brand new room where Lego classes will be taught and birthday parties can be held.

Of course, the wall of colored Lego is still available and this is always a big hit with kids wanting to build stuff.

And pictured above is Brickly the Sea Serpent who remains unchanged. There’s loads more photo’s on our Facebook page so click here to be taken to them… make sure you click “LIKE” to access all the photo’s. And finally, here’s some video of my trip…

Just announced over at Kennedy Space Center – When space shuttle Atlantis returns from its final mission in July, it’s coming home to stay at Kennedy Space Center, congressional sources said today.

Their confirmation came moments before NASA Administrator Charles Bolden was to make the announcement that the Visitors Center here will get to keep and display Atlantis for visitors and for the thousands of KSC workers who spent their careers launching the shuttles into orbit over the past three decades.

As expected, KSC won a nationwide sweepstakes to keep one of the three remaining active shuttles that have been the backbone of America’s space program since 1981. U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, a Democrat from Brevard County, had pushed hard to keep Atlantis, on which both he and Bolden flew into orbit in 1986, in his political backyard.

Bolden brought the good news to more than 300 NASA officials and area dignitaries gathered outside KSC’s orbiter maintenance facility for what was initially set up to be a celebration of the 30th anniversary of the first shuttle launch. The announcement was preceded by a 15-minute video about the shuttle, the most complex machine ever built, narrated by William Shatner, and congratulations from the six crew members aboard the International Space Station.

As regards the other shuttles,  Discovery is heading to the Air and Space Museum’s Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia and Endeavour is off to the California Science Center in Los Angeles. Finally,  the prototype Enterprise, which never flew in space, goes to the Intrepid museum in New York City. Seems like a decent split to me and hopefully it’ll please most people.

Premieres of the best in cutting-edge current cinema, indulgent experiences in food and film, a blissful mix of industry parties and special events and a star-packed attendee list all combine for the 20th annual Florida Film Festival, which starts today and runs for 10 days around Central Florida until 17 April, 2011.

Produced by Enzian, the Florida Film Festival greets its 20th anniversary with a heartfelt salute to its native state and namesake. All things Florida,from Apalachicola to Islamorada, from the Seminole Nation to Walt Disney World, from the black mud of the ‘glades to the fictional peaks of Mt. Dora, all things Florida will be celebrated in a 165 movies in 9 days extravaganza.

A full schedule of events can be found here.

www.floridafilmfestival.com

I’m often asked what else there is to do in Orlando other than visiting theme parks. Well, the answer isn’t very easy because Orlando has a lot of things you can do and some of them don’t cost a fortune either! Yes, we do have a lot of touristy things here but we also have some fabulous treasures where you and your family can get out and about and enjoy some of the real Orlando.

For a start we have some great museums, places like Orlando Science Center or the Orlando Museum of Art… and then we have some interesting places to visit such as Winter Park… a place that is celebrated for its sense of place and history.

The city is home to Rollins College, Full Sail University, the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art, which houses the largest collection of Tiffany glass on Earth and the Albin Polasek Museum and Sculpture Gardens. Winter Park also enjoys more park space per capita than any other city in Florida.

Winter Park was founded as a resort destination by wealthy New England industrialists before the turn of the 20th century and it is recognized as the first centrally planned community in Florida; its main street includes not only public civic buildings and retail, but also art galleries, a private liberal arts college, museums, a park, a train station, a golf course country club, a historic cemetery, and a beach and boat launch. Many of its structures are more than 100 years old and the scenic Olde Winter Park area is punctuated by small, winding brick streets, and a canopy of old Southern Live Oak and Camphor trees, draped with Spanish Moss. The city draws thousands of visitors to annual festivals including the Bach Festival, the nationally ranked Sidewalk Art Festival, and the Winter Park Concours d’Elegance.

It’s a wonderful place to visit when you’re in Orlando…check out this video I made to get a better sense of what the city is about…

The top flowboarders in the country will meet in Kissimmee on April 30, 2011, when the 2011 U.S. FLOW Tour comes to the new Fantasy Surf indoor water attraction just off Poinciana Blvd. Wave Loch, creator of the U.S. FLOW Tour and manufacturer of FlowRiders®, has selected Fantasy Surf to be the second stop of the four month long tour that is held at 16 venues across 13 states.

“Wave Loch has been closely involved with the construction and launch of Fantasy Surf. We’re impressed with the beautiful 14,000 square foot facility and the way the community has embraced the new venue,” said Rob Chalfant of Wave Loch.

“Hosting a FLOW Tour competition will not only put Fantasy Surf on the national map but it will provide an economic boost to surrounding businesses that will offer lodging, food, and other amenities to the tour audience,” said Chuck Richardson, director of sales and hospitality at Fantasy Surf.

Fantasy Surf features Wave Loch’s patented double FlowRider® system which uses high-pressure pumps to create as much as a 30 MPH three-inch sheet of water. The water from the 55,000 gallon tank flows up and over the shape of a faultless tension sheet wave simulating the feeling of surfing.

Riding the indoor attraction has the look of surfing and wakeboarding, ride of snowboarding, and tricks of skateboarding in a safe and controlled environment.

Fantasy Surf sponsors the expert men’s and expert women’s champions of the 2010 U.S. FLOW Tour: Sean Silveira and Amanda McCormick, both from the Orlando area. After winning the U.S. competition, Silveira and McCormick went on to capture their respective divisions in the World Flowboarding Championships in October in Singapore. Both Silveira and McCormick plan to compete in the 2011 tour and will train at Fantasy Surf.

A typical U.S. FLOW Tour event brings hundreds of participants, coordinators, sponsors and vendors to a venue so it looks like Kissimmee will be a busy place towards the end of next month.

For more information, visit www.ultimateindoorwave.com.

Yesterday I talked about the progress being made at Legoland Florida and today I want to go into further depth about what you can expect to see when the park opens in October.

There are 10 themed areas making up the park and all of them feature exciting and fun things to do for you and your young ones. When it opens it will become the largest Legoland Park in the world so it’s important to understand what’s coming our way. In order to do that I thought I’d go through each themed area one by one:

THEMED ZONES:

The Beginning
The Beginning hosts the park entry, ticket and pass sales, the Garden Restaurant and The Big Shop.

The Big Shop will be one of the largest retail stores in the world where guests can take advantage of a huge selection of LEGO and LEGOLAND merchandise.
The Market will feature authentic imported Danishes and freshly baked pastries, espresso, milk, juice, fruit, a selection of yogurts and soft serve ice cream.

Fun Town
When guests enter Fun Town, they truly get a sense they’ve entered a LEGO village.

Factory Tour – A firsthand look at how LEGO bricks are made from factory to finish
Studio Store – Visit this store to pick up all your favorite LEGO licensed products, such as Clutch Powers, SpongeBob™, Indiana Jones™, Star Wars™ and Batman™
Granny’s Apple Fries – The park’s signature dessert item made with crisp Granny Smith apples, powdered with cinnamon and sugar and served with a deliciously sweet vanilla cream sauce
Fun Town Theater – Three different 4-D movies will show throughout the day at LEGOLAND’s largest 4-D theater with seats for 700

Miniland USA
The heart of every LEGOLAND Park, Miniland USA will be home to seven specially themed areas:

Florida encompasses the entire state from Mallory Square in Key West to Bok Tower in Central Florida and antebellum mansions in the Panhandle. Miniland Florida also includes an expanded area for Kennedy Space Center and an interactive Daytona International Speedway® racing experience where guests can race LEGO brick cars.

Las Vegas features the world-famous Strip including the Luxor Las Vegas, New York, New York Hotel and Casino, Excalibur, Mirage, Treasure Island, Tropicana, MGM Grand, Venetian, Stratosphere tower and two iconic structures of Paris Las Vegas: the balloon sign and Eiffel Tower. “The Strip” at LEGOLAND also features a miniature wedding chapel, monorails and real-life sounds recorded in Las Vegas.

Washington, D.C. sports faithful re-creations of the White House (including the first family and “first dog”), the U.S. Capitol building, Smithsonian, Washington and Jefferson monuments and parts of Georgetown. An animated marching band parades in front of the Capitol and tiny cherry trees blossom every spring.

New York City features tiny jets of water shooting up from the fountain in Rockefeller Plaza, while an army of animated yellow taxicabs prowls the streets of Times Square. The Statue of Liberty, a cutaway view of Grand Central Station, The Empire State Building, the Guggenheim Museum and the Bronx Zoo are just a few of the iconic landmarks.

A Pirate-themed section hosts a full-on swashbuckling pirate adventure as two opposing pirate ships and their “mates” battle it out upon the high seas.

Castle Hill
Castle Hill takes kids back to medieval times where spells are cast and many knights, damsels and dragons are found.

The Dragon – An indoor/outdoor steel roller coaster that features a spirited and humorous view of life behind the scenes within the enchanted LEGOLAND Castle.
The Royal Joust – Kids ride LEGO-themed horses through a number of medieval scenes where they encounter other riders in a simulated joust.

Land of Adventure
In Land of Adventure, visitors of all ages explore hidden tombs and hunt for treasure.

Coastersaurus – This junior coaster reaches curves and dips in and around a prehistoric jungle of animated and life-sized LEGO brick dinosaurs.
Lost Kingdom Adventure – LEGOLAND Florida’s spectacular dark ride invites guests to fire laser blasters at targets and brave the rugged Egyptian landscape in all-terrain roadsters, while attempting to unearth the vast treasures of a forgotten empire.
Pharaoh’s Revenge – This outdoor attraction lets children and parents fire soft foam balls at enemies and explore the complex maze of the Pharaoh’s kingdom.
Beetle Bounce – Launch 15-feet up toward intricate, brightly jeweled LEGO scarab beetles perched atop two monumental obelisks.

XTreme
LEGO TECHNIC® Test Track –Brave guests feel the power of acceleration, braking and maneuverability as they race a life-size LEGO TECHNIC vehicle along a wild roller coaster track.
AQUAZONE® Wave Racers –Riders zip in and out of waves as they dodge water blasters on this dual water carousel ride.

LEGO City
LEGO City is the perfect place for youngsters to live out their dreams in a scaled-down town created just for them.

Fun Town Fire Academy – Families race to put out a “blaze” by piling into a “fire truck” and power it by pumping levers across a paved straightaway. The first family to put out the fire and make it back wins
Driving School – A “real-life” driving experience for children ages 6 through 13, where kids receive their official LEGOLAND driver license.
Junior Driving School – A print-size version driving school course for children ages 3 through 5
Flight School – An inverted steel coaster that lets kids experience the thrill of flight.
The Big Test – This interactive show uses acrobatics, music and playful fun to teach fire safety as the zany crew of Fun Town Fire Department attempts to conquer the “Big Test” to become official firefighters.

Imagination Zone
Imagination Zone emphasizes exploring and creation, while showcasing seven of the most visually exciting LEGO models in the world, including a replica of Albert Einstein’s head.

Game Space – Features 13 game stations where guests can experience LEGO STAR WARS™ and other family friendly games like LEGO INDIANA JONES™, LEGO BATMAN™ and Monsters vs. Aliens all year.
Build & Test – Build a LEGO car and test it against the competition on the digitally timed track.
LEGO MINDSTORMS™ – Build and program cutting-edge, computerized LEGO MINDSTORMS™ robots.
LEGO Clubhouse – Kids and parents stock up on bulk LEGO bricks and Make & Create kits while enjoying ice cream, popcorn, beverages and snacks.
Kid Power Towers – Kids and parents alike hoist themselves up to the top of a tower to get a great view of the entire park and lovely Lake Eloise, and then enjoy a fun “free-fall” to the bottom.

Pirate’s Cove
Pirate’s Cove has been taken over by swashbuckling pirates along the shores of Lake Eloise at LEGOLAND Florida’s very own live-action, water-stunt show.

DUPLO® Village
Duplo Village is ideal for toddlers and their imaginations. Youngsters can fly a plane, drive a car or explore a whole town – designed with their height in mind.

Legoland Florida is going to be a lot of fun and we’ll continue to give you updates over the next few weeks…

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson head the field for the Arnold Palmer Invitational that starts tomorrow at Bay Hill Golf and Country Club in Orlando. Justin Rose, who captured two PGA Tour victories last year, and Northern Trust champion Aaron Baddeley were also among a handful of late entries who joined the field and the final roster features nine of the top 20 players in this week’s world rankings.

After skipping last years event six-time Bay Hill champion Tiger Woods is making a welcome return after a year’s hiatus. Wherever he goes Woods is always in the news and hopefully this tournament will be a chance for him to set the headlines for all the right reasons. It’s been a painful 18 months for the 14 time major winner and he’ll no doubt see this as the perfect opportunity to tune up ready for the 2011 Masters in a couple of weeks time. U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell and Masters titleholder Phil Mickelson also are among the headliners in a field that also includes six of this year’s 11 PGA Tour winners.

Late additions to the roster for this years event are Stewart Cink and David Toms who join the 120-man field, along with Bill Haas and Fredrik Jacobsen. The field also will include Champions Tour pro Andy Bean, entering on the 30th anniversary of his 1981 victory.  Last years winner was Ernie Els in a rain delayed tournament that actually finished a day late and he’ll be hopeful of defending his title this year. It’s going to be a great four days of golf in Orlando!

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

This time of year is known as “Golf Season” in Orlando and it’s not just because it’s a great time to play the noble game but also a fabulous time to get out to see some of the best tournaments in the United States… the PGA Tour. The PGA Tour is on it’s Florida Swing right now and next week it stops at Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge for the Arnold Palmer Invitational Presented by MasterCard.

2011 is truly a golden year for Arnold Palmer’s Bay Hill Club & Lodge as it’s actually celebrating it’s 50th Anniversary. The Bay Hill Club was built in 1961 and it was just four short years after that in 1965 when the “King of Golf”, Arnold Palmer, played in and won a charity golf event on what was then an unknown golf course. The rest is history as “Arnie” fell in love with Orlando and Bay Hill that day and he started to hatch a plan to make the club his own. Naturally, he succeeded by initially taking out a 5 year lease with an option to buy  on the property in 1970 and since taking ownership in 1975 he and his team have worked extremely hard to ensure that the PGA Tour makes an annual stop in Orlando.

Today, the Arnold Palmer Invitational attracts some of the strongest fields of the season and it’s world class amenities including a 70 room lodge make it a comfortable and value added experience for those guests fortunate to stay there during the event. So, if you’re in Orlando this year and unable to secure accommodation for the event at Bay Hill, why not enjoy your own vacation home just 10 to 15 minutes away from some of the best golf you’ll ever see? Florida Leisure Vacation Homes has homes close to the famous Orlando course and who knows, you may just see us skipping work and enjoying some quality golf time. Here’s some video I shot showing some of the things going on behind the scenes and how the venue is preparing for the tournament.

It’s St Patrick’s Day and that can only  mean one thing if you are Irish or have Irish roots… celebrate!

Very few folks celebrate like the Irish and that usually means copious amounts of alcohol washed down with copious amounts of more alcohol!

St Patrick’s Day or Paddy’s Day, is an annual feast day which celebrates Saint Patrick, one of the patron saints of Ireland. Around this time of year you will find several St Patricks Day Parades, Irish Festivals and of course Green Beer. Not only is this day is a national holiday in Ireland but for most here in Orlando FL, St Patrick’s Day 2011 is a day to party and celebrate with friends!

If you’re currently in Orlando there’s plenty going on today and here’s some suggestions of where you might want to hang out and enjoy the party.

Enjoy an authentic pour of Guinness at a local Irish pub. Orlando is home to dozens of Irish and English pubs that promise to pour the perfect pint of Guinness. Take your pick and head out for your first toast at your favorite spot.

Visit The Harp & Celt Restaurant and Irish Pub. It’s located on South Magnolia Avenue in downtown Orlando, and is a laid back, locally owned pub that serves up plenty of classic Irish food and drinks.

Head to Downtown Disney as the Raglan Road Irish Pub features special events and festivities over Saint Patrick’s Day weekend, and it’s a great place to dance the night away to the tunes of a Celtic band.

Head to downtown Orlando for the weekend celebrations.   Almost every bar and restaurant downtown hosts a special menu and plenty of corned beef with cabbage and scotch eggs. You can also head out for a St. Patrick’s Day picnic at Lake Eola park. The park is a great venue to enjoy a picnic, and the weather is nearly always perfect over St. Patrick’s Day weekend so round up some sandwiches and treats, and head outdoors for the day to catch bagpipe music and other live entertainment  acts throughout the area.

From 4pm till close you can celebrate at Pat O’ Brien’s at Universal’s City Walk. There is no cover charge until 7pm and there will be a Live Rock Band & Dueling Pianos. Traditional Irish food can be purchased and you’ll find leprechauns, beads and $7.95 hurricanes and $2.00 Bud Drafts. General admission is $12 and VIL (very important leprechaun) is $20.

Included with general admission at Bok Tower Gardens will be some very special carillon music featuring lively Irish melodies. Concerts are at 1 pm and 3 pm and are totally free with admission to the Gardens.

Finally at Will’s Pub there is a St Patrick’s Day tribute to Thin Lizzy starting at 9pm.

Day 2 at the Tavistock Cup saw Team Lake Nona dominate the play and capture its third consecutive win and fourth World Golf and Country Club Championship title in the tournament’s eight-year history. A score of 43-under par saw Team Lake Nona overtake Team Isleworth on their home turf in the singles stroke-play format.

As the low medalist for Day Two, Lake Nona’s Oliver Wilson helped lead his team to victory with a score of -7 (65) and he took home the Payne Stewart Salver Award and the $200,000 prize. Team Isleworth’s Robert Allenby was runner-up with a score of -6 (66).

Team Albany came in 16 shots behind Lake Nona at 27-under par while Isleworth came in third place with a score of 25-under par. Queenwood finished fourth at 18-under par. Team Lake Nona’s Graeme McDowell won the closest to the pin challenge on Hole 2, Team Queenwood’s David Howell on Hole 5, Team Isleworth’s Stuart Appleby on Hole 11 and Team Queenwood’s Adam Scott on Hole 15.

It was my first visit to the Tavistock Cup and I have to say it was very refreshing to see the players competing hard but also having some fun and entertaining the crowd a lot more than you’d normally find at such a golf event. There was none of that stuffy nose in the air atmosphere that you might have expected from such an event and the gallery was as laid back as the players.

Sure, there was some friendly country club rivalry thrown into the mix but nothing that suggested this event was only reserved for the elite of society. Spectators were allowed to get close to the players and while there were some ropes and marshals around the tees and greens, it was possible to walk the fairways with no real concerns about security, taking pictures or even having the odd cell phone conversation as long as you were mindful of normal golf etiquette.

It was also nice to see the players families along for the fun and some of the youngsters actually made the event more down to earth and relaxing as they made a beeline for the 18th flag or the bunker surrounding the same green. Rounding things off was a nice simple presentation ceremony as Tracey Stewart presented the Payne Stewart Salver Award to Oliver Wilson before the Tavistock Cup was handed over for safe keeping for a year to Team Nona.

The annual two-day tournament will be held at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club next year in March and it is hoped that there may even be six teams in the mix as the tournament grows. It’s a date you should put in your diary… here’s some vid…