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

It’s time to dust off the Stetson and round up the family this weekend as it’s again time for the Silver Spurs Rodeo! The Silver Spurs Rodeo is an event where the country’s top cowboys and the most unpredictable livestock mix it up for some entertaining and often exhilarating action. Rodeo fans enjoy events such as bull riding, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding and barrel racing. There’s also some cowboy clowns to please the crowd.

The Silver Spurs Rodeo was founded by the Silver Spurs Riding Club in 1944 to promote good horsemanship and good fellowship in Osceola County. It has grown to become one of the most successful rodeos in the country, the largest rodeo east of the Mississippi and is ranked annually among the top 50 events sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association.

Held for years in an outdoor arena, the Silver Spurs Rodeo has a new home — the high-tech Silver Spurs Arena, located at Osceola Heritage Park. The one-year-old multi-million dollar indoor facility is climate-controlled with the latest state-of-the-art, high-tech lighting and audio — the ultimate in rodeo watching comfort.

Kissimmee’s Cattle Country History
Most people who visit Kissimmee come to the area to visit Central Florida’s theme parks so they are more than a bit surprised to find that cattle ranches, rodeos and cowboys still continue to play such a big part in the area’s culture. All of these were around long before Mr. Disney came to town and changed the Central Florida landscape forever.

It was back in the 1500′s, when Spanish explorers landed on the coast of Florida with their ships loaded with everything they needed to tame a new territory, including cattle. They often found that crossing the watery swamps of Central Florida was a treacherous occupation and very often a few head of cattle wandered away as the travelers became bogged down. Despite these dangerous conditions the lost cattle managed to survived and even multiply. Moving forward some 200 years later, the area’s next settlers found the plains of the Kissimmee River Valley overrun with herds of wild cows. Stories are told of early residents in downtown Kissimmee fencing their yards to keep the wild cows out and while these animals undoubtedly caused some headaches for Osceola’s early pioneer families, the cattle also provided a valuable food source.

Today, that cowboy way of life still continues and every week local cowboys and cowgirls entertain themselves by competeing in action-packed, all-American events like bull riding, calf roping and barrel racing at the Kissimmee Sports Arena’s Friday Night Rodeo. Twice a year, however, the action is kicked into high gear at the Silver Spurs Rodeo where the country’s toughest cowboys go head-to-head with the country’s nastiest bulls and saddle broncs. The 127th PRCA Silver Spurs Rodeo bucks into action today and tomorrow, June 4-5 at the Silver Spurs Arena in Kissimmee. It costs just $15 per person, plus kids 10 and under are free, and gains you entrance into one of the original extreme sports that will be sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.

All of the traditional rodeo events at the official state rodeo of Florida will get underway on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday at 2:00 p.m. Events such as bull riding, steer wrestling, saddle bronc riding, bareback riding, and barrel racing, along with crowd-pleasing cowboy clowns, will all take place during each performance.

You can lasso your tickets in advance by visiting www.silverspursrodeo.com or call (407)-67RODEO.

Information and Directions
The 120-acre Osceola Heritage Park, which includes the Silver Spurs Arena, Osceola County Stadium, the Exhibition Building, Outdoor Pavillion, KVLS Pavillion and University of Florida Extension Services has been developed as a showplace of facilities that honor and celebrates the Kissimmee-St. Cloud community and its agricultural and cattle ranching heritage.

The Silver Spurs Rodeo is located at the Silver Spurs Arena, 1875 Silver Spur Lane, Kissimmee. The Silver Spurs Arena is located within the Osceola Heritage Park off Highway 192 east of Kissimmee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Orlando City projected starting line-up (unofficial):

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have you made your vacation plans for the Summer? If not, you’ll want to check out what’s going on in Orlando as there’s lots of new stuff going on at the theme parks this year. There’s a killer whale show, a new roller-coaster, a cheetah habitat, a zip-line ride over alligators and there’s also the chance to get close to sharks by wading through a coral lagoon with a special diving helmet

It’s a great place to be as Walt Disney World, SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Busch Gardens, Gatorland and Legoland Florida – opening in October, all have a lot of new things to do.

SeaWorld

The home of Shamu the killer whale is now the venue for One Ocean, an incredible show involving all the park’s majestic orcas. Replacing the Believe show, One Ocean brings new staging, music and special effects to showcase the talents and special co-ordination of SeaWorld’s trainers and their killer whales. Fountains, video screens and clever lighting all combine for a spectacular 25-minute experience.

Discovery Cove

SeaWorld’s swim-with-dolphins sister park debuts it’s new Grand Reef attraction in June, giving its 1,000 visitors a day a chance to swim and snorkel with thousands of tropical fish and graceful rays. There will be an underwater walking tour, SeaVenture where for an extra $59 per person guests can don special diving helmets and venture beneath the surface to handle sea urchins and star fish, and stand among huge schools of feeding fish as well as observe some fierce looking sharks.

Busch Gardens

Just an hour away in nearby Tampa, Busch Gardens boasts America’s most dynamic and eye-catching ride this year, Cheetah Hunt. With a fast-launch start that blasts from 0-60mph in 2.5 seconds and more than 4,429ft of track that twists, turns and dives underground, it features a 130ft drop as well as a figure-of- eight loop in its three-and-a-half-minute duration.

Themed to feel like a cheetah hunting its prey, it will also offer a short stretch where the park’s eight cheetahs will be able to sprint alongside the ride as they chase a special lure as part of their exercise regime. The attraction is due to open on May 27.

Gatorland

Although it’s not one of the mainstream parks, this is Orlando’s oldest, dating back to 1949, and from early June it will offer the Screamin’ Gator zip-line ride, a high-flying adventure taking riders up and over the park’s residents – more than 1,000 alligators and crocodiles. The series of four zips, nature walk and swinging bridge take 45 minutes at a height of up to 56ft and speeds of 30mph to give a new perspective on this collection of flora and fauna. It costs $69.99 per person, including all-day entry to Gatorland.

Legoland Florida

Opening in October the latest member of the worldwide Lego family will offer 150 acres of fun and rides for the two-to-12 age group in classic brick-building style in ten distinct ‘lands’ but all with natural overtones as it is built on the site of the former Cypress Gardens, on the shore of Lake Eloise in Winter Haven, 40 minutes south of Orlando.

Walt Disney World

Star Tours II is Disney’s big offering for 2011, a revamped, version of the classic Star Wars simulator ride that now blasts off for Tatooine and Coruscant, plunging riders into the Boonta Eve Classic pod-race (from the film Star Wars I), in high-definition 3D from May 20 at Hollywood Studios.

The Pixar Pals Countdown to Fun is the new daily parade with all the favorites from films such as Up, Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Toy Story and others. Disney Junior – Live On Stage is now open for pre-school fans of programs such as Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Little Einsteins and the new Jake And The Never Land Pirates. Finally, at the Animal Kingdom park, guests can enjoy a three-hour Wild Africa Trek, a small-group journey through the animal savannahs for an extra $189 per person.

You’ll also want to check out what’s going on at the smaller parks and attractions.

Fantasy Surf is a new opportunity to try surfing on an indoor FlowRider system. It is great for novices and experienced surfers alike. Check out this video :

In Orlando city centre you can check out the Skyline Tour (from the Visitor Centre on Orange Avenue) and learn about the 19th Century ‘boom-town’ from a 16th-floor vantage point while nearby, the Orange County History Centre has more insight into Central Florida’s past, some 12,000 years of it, including the area’s Native American heritage and the huge cattle industry, with its own cowboys known as ‘crackers’.

Check out the video below of the chic suburb of Winter Park which features more natural charms, with its own boat tour through the local lakes plus, for art lovers, the unusual Morse Museum of American Art, which boasts one of the largest glass collections by Tiffany in the United States.

Aviation enthusiasts will enjoy a visit to Fantasy of Flight which hosts an amazing collection of vintage aircraft and daily flying exhibitions put together with real artistry by millionaire collector Kermit Weeks.

And no one should leave without seeing something of the real Florida. Enjoy an airboat ride from Boggy Creek Airboats, the area’s specialists, offering a variety of trips that get off the beaten track for personal, up-close encounters to capture the spirit of the Sunshine State.

One thing’s for certain: you’ll never be short of something to do in Orlando!

This year Walt Disney World Resort is celebrating its milestone 40th anniversary, and the Disney Fan Club D23 is saluting this magnificent occasion with a magical two-day event this weekend that illuminates the rich history and storied legacy of Walt Disney’s “Project Florida” for fans of all backgrounds — from the casual guest to the most ardent armchair experts.

Walt Disney World 40th transports D23 Members on a journey from the moment the first parcels of land in Central Florida were purchased in 1964 through the opening of EPCOT Center in 1982 and I’m pleased to report that I’m attending! The exclusive event features two full days of special entertainment, surprise guest appearances, a remarkable gathering of Walt Disney World “pioneers,” retrospectives, screenings of rare and newly discovered film and TV footage, archival displays and informative presentations that gives D23 Members an unprecedented look at this truly spectacular World.

Main Highlights of Destination D are appearances by such notables as Disney Legends Marty Sklar, Bob Gurr, Jack Lindquist, Charlie Ridgway, Tom Nabbe, Bob Matheison, Orlando Ferrante and Ron Logan, in addition to Debra Browne, the 1971 Walt Disney World Ambassador to the World. There is also a special exhibit from the Walt Disney Archives featuring rare items and artifacts from the creation and evolution of Walt Disney World Resort.

The weekend culminates with an enchanting concert, Magic Journeys: A Flight of Fancy through 40 Years of Walt Disney World Musical Memories, featuring Disney Legend and Academy Award® winner Richard M. Sherman.

There’s lots of photo’s from the weekend on our Facebook page … www.Facebook.com/FloridaLeisure …check it out and make sure you hit the “LIKE” button!

If you love all things automotive, then Downtown Disney is where you need to be today, tomorrow, and Sunday. Sixty classic cars have lined up along the Downtown Disney promenade for Disney’s Car Masters Weekend,but as with most things that Disney does, don’t expect this to be just an ordinary car show. This time some very classic cars are going to meet their match as 4 time Piston Cup champion, Lightning McQueen, Mater and their new friend, Finn McMissile, roll into the weekend to celebrate the release of Disney Pixar’s “Cars 2″.

In celebration of Pixar’s 25th anniversary, the muscle cars will also be joined by the largest life-sized, radio controlled car replicas ever built – giving fans the chance to hang out with their favorite “car-acters.”The three day event begins today and runs through Sunday May 15th. The fun begins each day at 10:30am and will last until 6pm and your young ones will enjoy the “Race Into Reading” read and play log (pictured below) they’ll be given as they leave the “Cars 2″ area.

In addition to meeting your “Cars” favorites, NASCAR fans are able to take a look at Richard Petty’s race car, which is on display inside Ridemakerz and it’s also the location where you can “test-drive” some of the new “Cars 2″ Ridemakerz models.

Also featuring will be a variety of different activities throughout the weekend including games and giveaways as well as a  video kiosk. There’s also a sweepstakes as “Agents on a Mission” will give away some 18,000 prizes including a brand new car.

Taking place on Saturday and Sunday is the Classic Car show, which will be judged by Pixar Animation Studios’ “Cars” franchise guardian and resident car expert, Jay Ward.

Also, the 2006 Disney-Pixar “Cars” film returns to the big screen for a limited time at AMC Pleasure Island 24 Theatres throughout the weekend. Moviegoers can even catch a glimpse of the new movie trailer from “Cars 2,” which then comes to a theater near you on June 24th.

It promises to be a fun filled weekend so if you’re in Orlando why not pay a visit? If you can’t make it, then don’t worry as we have made a short video for you and we have plenty of pictures on our Facebook.com/FloridaLeisure page.

If golf is your game, you won’t want to miss the experience of a round at Mystic Dunes Golf Club. Rated a 4 1/2 star course by Golf Digest magazine, Mystic Dunes is renowned as one of the most unique courses in all of Florida.

It’s located at the beautiful Mystic Dunes Resort & Golf Club, nestled on over 600 acres of rolling hills and lush tropical landscaping, just two miles from Walt Disney World® and minutes away from Orlando’s other major theme parks and attractions.

The course was designed by Champions Tour player and NBC golf analyst Gary Koch.  At 7,012 yards, the par 71 course is challenging yet fun for golfers of all skill levels.  It’s built on some of the highest elevations in the Central Florida area, and features two distinctly different layouts that take advantage of the resort’s unique topography.

The “low-country” style front nine is reminiscent of classic Carolina courses, meandering through native wetlands and marsh areas and bordering oak and cypress forests. The back nine features characteristics of a British Isles links course, with perimeter mounding, pot bunkers, and rolling fairways.

The unique greens at Mystic Dunes are reminiscent of Augusta National, with varying elevations that allow for an unlimited variety of shots and strategies.  Several of the par four holes rival the length of some of the longest seen in professional major championships, and a diabolical quartet of par threes seem to get more intense as the round progresses.  But don’t worry… the five sets of tee boxes offer golfers of all skill levels the ability to play from the distance that makes their round of golf enjoyable, and with just enough challenge to keep them on their toes.  And the meticulous course conditioning guarantees great playing conditions year-round.

The practice facility is a great place to warm up before your round, featuring a large driving range with grass teeing area and target greens, plus practice bunkers and putting and chipping greens.

All golf carts are outfitted with Par-View GPS to help golfers shape every shot and get the most out of their round, and the expansive Pro Shop offers the latest in golf equipment and fashion for men and women.

The friendly atmosphere of Kenzie’s, the restaurant and bar at the Mystic Dunes Clubhouse, is the perfect place to enjoy breakfast before your round, lunch on the outdoor terrace, or you can pick up an order to go at the turn.  After your round, it’s a great place to enjoy a cold beer or cocktail and catch up on the day’s sports, or stay for a casual dinner.

The clubhouse can also accommodate tournament and banquet events and weddings of up to 300 guests.  The outdoor verandah that wraps around the back of the clubhouse offers a spectacular view of the picturesque 18^th green and driving range; it’s absolutely gorgeous at dusk.

Whether visiting Orlando for a few days, a few weeks, or an extended stay, if you play golf you will want to make sure your itinerary includes a round at Mystic Dunes. If you’d like to see more photo’s…click on our Facebook page here. And here’s a short video tour…