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

Oliver and James Phelps, the actors who portrayed the Weasley twins in the “Harry Potter” movies, were taping at Universal’s Islands of Adventure yesterday. The brothers were stationed near the theme park’s Hogsmeade village with Hogwarts serving as the backdrop at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

The Phelpses read from a prompter and interacted with fans between takes. Universal team members comically shhhushed squealing passers-by and asked for no flash photography.  Later, the brothers used omnioculars as a prop and they smiled sheepishly as they were escorted out of the area through the backstage area near the secondary butterbeer cart.

Folks on hand did not know the purpose of the taping, though there were whispers of commercials, DVD extras and other promotional media, perhaps tied to the upcoming one-year anniversary of Wizarding World of Harry Potter and Universal Orlando officials would not identify what the Phelpses were doing Wednesday.

Universal Orlando has announced significant prices increases for two of its popular annual pass ticket choices. Orlando locals and frequent attendees to Universal’s parks can expect to pay $20 – $60 more per annual pass in the new year. The Power Pass, which does not include parking and features blackout dates, was $139.99 for Florida residents in 2010 and has risen by $20 to $159.99 in 2011.

Also added are several additional blackout weeks during the busy summer season at the Islands of Adventure theme park with the idea being  to limit attendance in the exceptionally busy Wizarding World of Harry Potter, which was overwhelmed with crowds in 2010.

The price of the Premier pass, which includes parking and features no blackout dates, has risen a whopping $60, from $289.99 for Florida residents to $349.99. This huge price increase is not unexpected given the popularity of the place since Potter opened but it’s still something of a risk for Universal to take and could well alienate the very people they rely on most during quieter seasons.

Universal Orlando’s Preferred pass remains unchanged in price and ss of today, renewal prices for the Premier and Power passes have not changed, remaining at $149.99 and $114.99 respectively but they could change at any moment. Passholders may renew up to 30 days prior to their pass expiration dates, so if you have a pass that expires within the next month, it might be a smart move to renew early and beat any potential price increases.

It;s interesting to see how Universal have moved to increase prices in this economy as  no additional benefits have been added to either pass. In fact, with the Power pass’s increased number of blackout dates, passholders will actually receive less for more money spent.

When you compare this to Walt Disney World, a Florida resident annual pass good for entrance into all of Disney’s Orlando theme parks with parking included costs $403.64, now just $53.65 more than Universal’s pass and Disney’s pass includes admission to four theme parks to Universal’s two.

If you average this out a new Florida resident annual pass for Disney’s parks averages out at $100.91 per park whereas Universal’s average is now $175 per park. It’s certainly a bold move for Universal to potentially price out their most loyal fans and we’ll just have to see how it all pans out.

Well today marks the last day of the year and it’s always fun to look back and reflect on some of the things that happened and what interested most people. That’s why we’ve taken a look at our YouTube.com/FloridaLeisure channel to see exactly what were the most popular videos from over 100 that we made in 2010.

Coming in at No. 10 is the Fun Spot video… this is the video featuring the two great fun parks in the Orlando area…one on International Drive and the other on US 192 at Old Town.

At No. 9 is the Sea World Up Close VIP Dolphin Encounter… a great way to get up close and personal with the dolphins at SeaWorld.

At No. 8 is the LPGA Golf video featuring the exciting finish to the tour when six of the ladies were in close competition for the leading titles in the World here in Orlando.

No 7 is the video from the AARP conference that came to Orlando in September and features part of Peter Greenberg’s talk on how to travel and save money.

No 6 is the visit I made to Disney’s Animal Kingdom… one of the more popular theme parks and evidence of that comes from the number of views the video attracted.

No 5 is the video featuring the World’s capital for water skiing. This was a video I made after calling in at the Water Skiing Hall of Fame…I’d often driven by the place but never stopped…I didn’t know what I’d been missing!

No 4 is the video I made featuring the opening day at the new Amway Arena here in Orlando… it’s the new home of the Orlando Magic and many of the concerts that come to town… a great place to visit to take in a game or listen to some great artists.

No 3 is the Restaurant Row video I put together after visiting the Sand Lake Road area of Orlando. This area really is a great place to visit and some of the best food in Florida can be found here…and you bet the place will be heaving tonight…New Year’s Eve!

Coming in at the No. 2 spot is the Discovery Cove video. A lot of people wonder about the experience at Dolphin Cove and this video goes behind the scenes and shows you everything you need to know.

And the No. 1 video for 2010 is the Hotel or Vacation Rental Home video with over 30,000 views showing just how popular vacation rental homes have now become. This video explains the differences and cost savings between vacation rental homes and hotels and points out that no matter whether you are visiting on business or pleasure, a vacation home really is the best choice for a more relaxing and enjoyable time that saves you real money into the bargain!

Hope you’ve enjoyed our review of the Top 10 Florida Leisure videos for 2010 and please do visit YouTube.com/FloridaLeisure to seee some of the videos that didn’t quite make the list… there’s a lot to choose from such as the SeaWorld Penguin Up Close VIP Encounter, the Harry Potter section at Island’s of Adventure and the Lego Imagination Center at Downtown Disney.

Have a wonderful evening tonight and here’s looking forward to a great 2011 and the chance to create more memories!

Michael Douglas looked happy and on his way to recovery last Wednesday when he posed with wife Catherine Zeta-Jones and their kids, Dylan and Carys, in front of the Epcot Center in Disney World. The family also made a trip to Universal’s Islands of Adventure park and enjoyed a ride on the Flight of the Hippogriff roller coaster at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter on Saturday. The family also toured Hogwarts Castle and sampled some Butterbeer and it seems that Michael is once again enjoying life after finishing his treatment for cancer last month.

Also in town at present are newlyweds Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green who are captured below taking their own photo!

New details are coming out from Disney just days after dramatic evidence from Universal’s  shows just how important it is for our theme parks to keep offering new attractions.

Universal Orlando has just posted their best quarterly results in the resort’s 20 year history, fueled by the power of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Attendance alone for the resort’s two theme parks soared upwards by 36% for the third quarter, going up to 3.7 million guests from 2.7 million in the third quarter 2009. If that wasn’t serious enough, revenue surged ahead by 62% to $364 million, allowing the operating profit to over double compared to last year.

So, it appears that Disney imagineers are attempting to breath life back into Pleasure Island. The buildings that once housed the adult-oriented clubs at Pleasure Island have sat empty for the last two years, but some small details of what’s coming can be found in a couple of building permits.

Disney this week filed a pair of permits signaling the start of new construction at Pleasure Island, a once-popular dining-and-dancing spot that has since become little more than a cut-through between the two retail ends of Downtown Disney.  The permits suggest that at least two old Pleasure Island venues, BET Soundstage and Adventurers Club, will be razed completely.

What’s more, Disney World President Meg Crofton last week publicly hinted that changes were imminent. In a ceremony honoring new Disney World ambassadors, Crofton listed the “reimagining of Downtown Disney” among a list of current construction projects at the resort, along with the Fantasyland expansion at the Magic Kingdom and a new hotel dubbed Disney’s Art of Animation Resort.

Currently, Disney has dressed up the area around the several vacant buildings with a giant Mickey Mouse pumpkin, but it’s hard to tell from documents what is planned and Disney will only officially say, “more shopping and dining establishments.”

Pleasure Island opened in May 1989. Disney completed some big renovations in 2006, but in September of 2008, they shut down all the night clubs to make the island more family oriented. Since the clubs closed on Sept. 27, 2008, the only notable new venue to be added at Pleasure Island is Paradiso 37, a Mexican and South American restaurant that opened in June 2009.

Disney has said in the past that it expects to complete its redevelopment of Pleasure Island by 2012 so we’ll continue to keep you updated on progress. It’s about time something was done because every time I’ve been there recently, it’s always been very very busy. .. and for Disney, that means they are leaving revenue on the table!

Here’s some video from a recent visit I made:

After three years of anticipation and hype, at 9.00am today, Universal Orlando will formally throw open the doors at its Islands of Adventure theme park to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The spectacular addition has cost over $200 million and is a fantastically detailed collection of rides, shops and eateries. The new addition is expected to lure millions of new visitors to Universal Orlando in the coming months as the resort becomes home to all things Potter.

It’s a remarkable rise considering the first Harry Potter book was only published in 1997. Since then the franchise has catapulted itself into one of the most commercially successful entertainment properties of all time. The book has more than 400 million copies in print and has raised  more than $5.4 billion in global box-office receipts.

Interestingly, the seventh and final volume in the book series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, was published three years ago, and author J.K. Rowling has no plan to write more Potter books, aside from a possible encyclopedia about Potter’s magical universe. The eighth and final film, Deathly Hallows, has been split Deathly Hallows into two parts by Warner Bros, and is to be released next year.

Universal Orlando has informed us that it is planning to open its parking garage at 5:30am this morning to handle the first of what are expected to become daily crushes of visitors to Wizarding World this summer. Further, it has erected a large screen near the entrance of Islands of Adventure to let as many guests as possible watch a grand-opening spectacle which is scheduled for 9 a.m. today in Wizarding World.

Universal officials remain tight-lipped about what’s in store and who will attend the event, but if you are unable to make it don’t worry as the event is being streamed live online. That said, we do expect some of the stars behind the franchise to be in attendance though and many of them including Rowling and actor Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) are already in Orlando so it would be very odd if they didn’t make an appearance!

More during the day as we get it.The Live Event Feed is here and it begins at 9.00 EDT:

http://www.grandopeningwebevent.com

And don’t forget our own “Wizards of Leisure” offer… and details on how you can join in the fun are below:

Wizards of Leisure Offer

In celebration of the opening of the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park, Florida Leisure Vacation Homes will supply two adult tickets to Universal’s Islands of Adventure to any guest making a reservation this week for 5 nights or more. This is a $156.72 value!!

You get :

2 tickets to Universal’s Islands of Adventure Theme Park

Includes entrance to Wizarding World of Harry Potter

with any 5 nights or longer vacation home reservation

So make your reservation NOW! Remember, you must make a reservation for 2010, this week for 5 nights of more to qualify. To make a reservation for your next Orlando vacation, simply visit our web site FloridaLeisure.com or call our hotline on 1-800-760-1114 and quote “Wizards of Leisure”

The Celebrity Apprentice this week was right up our street…literally. The contestants were involved in an interesting challenge that revolved around the Wizarding World of Harry Potter and they were charged with creating a 3 dimensional interactive display that children could relate to in order to attract families to Universal Orlando this Summer.

By now, any version of the Apprentice follows a predictable path; big large sponsor company designs a task that guarantees them maximum exposure while the apprentices flounder around trying to create something of a masterpiece with which to impress their corporate bosses. Usually we see teams falling apart and then amazingly they usually kiss and make up just as Trump enters the Boardroom and they profess undying love for each other “as everyone did their best”.

Naturally this charade lasts about as long as it takes Harry Potter to mount his broomstick as Trump announces the winner and the loser. The losers then take turns to bash each other until Trump is left with what is usually an easy decision to fire someone.

This episode was different however. It had a different dynamic.

The two team managers were put on a corporate jet… nice plug for the jet leasing company as they walked over the mat to the door … and had no clue where they were headed until Trump popped up on the TV and informed them that Orlando was the destination and that they were heading to Universal Orlando to do the research for their task.

While in Orlando each team manager was given a chance to communicate with the team they had left behind about the extent of the task and to grab as many ideas, not to mention  freebies, as possible to take back with them to New York.

The team managers for the task were Rod Blagojevich and Selita Ebanks and it soon became clear that one of them had a very distinct advantage. Blagojevich, you will recall, is the twice elected former governor of Illinois now accused of corruption and trying to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by President Obama. Ebanks, on the other hand, is one of the most sought after and respected models of her generation and it quickly became clear that she held the upper hand as she was able to text and email her team instructions back in the Big Apple while Blagojevich was quickly found out to be technically incompetent.

With no idea how to text or email Blagojevich was at a massive disadvantage and his first phone call back to his team was to effectively put rock star Bret Michaels in charge of the creative aspect and pretty much the whole task. In the end both teams did a pretty good job of the main task and both created a decent looking display but it was the attention to detail that cost the mens team dearly as they failed to understand the Harry Potter script and some of its nuances…with the team leader being the worst of the lot by failing to even understand the basic fact that the exhibit was the Wizarding World of Harry Potter rather than his “Wizard World of Harry Potter”.

So, Blagojevich was “fired” by the Don and it has to be said there was much to admire about his loyalty to Michaels as he simply refused to throw him under the bus by bringing him back to the boardroom. Ebanks and the ladies emerged the winner and with it, a nice $20K check to her charity in Sierra Leone.

Nigel Worrall & George Ross

It was also nice to see George Ross back as one of Trump’s eyes and ears and I have to say I was impressed with the savvy business skills of Erin Burnett, who was the other, as she homed in on the fact that the real reason the men lost was because of their failure to pay attention to detail.

Overall, a very decent episode for a change and at long last it seems that Universal Orlando are finally getting their act together and doing some marketing. Good to see.

Here’s an update video as Ellen DeGeneres visits the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. It’s coming along nicely ready for it’s 18 June opening date.

Details are starting to emerge for the the highly anticipated “park within a park” 20 acre Wizarding World of Harry Potter due to open next spring at Universal Orlando.  There will be three major Potter-themed attractions  including a “Forbidden Journey” ride set in the iconic Hogwart’s Castle, Dragon Challenge and Flight of the Hippogriff.

Dragon Challenge is a high-speed ride described as “definitely for the brave” and is based on the Triwizard Tournament, a fictional 13th century contest between students of the three most prestigious magical schools of Europe.

Another is Flight of the Hippogriff, a coaster based on Rowlings’ magical creature with the head, wings and front legs of a giant eagle and body, hind legs and tail of a horse.

Also keeping faithful to  author J.K. Rowlings’ seven-book Harry Potter series visitors will be able to sample butter beer and pumpkin juice at the Three Broomsticks Restaurant, relax in the Owlery and be fitted for a magical wand in Ollivander’s Wand Shop, all of which are familiar to Potter fans.

The “Wizarding World” had been under development for five years and park details have been tightly held since the project was announced in 2007.