The 50th Anniversary at Walt Disney World was more than a large marketing effort, and the impacts of it will long outlast any commercials bringing awareness to the celebration. On top of the half a dozen major new attractions that opened around the anniversary, Disney has been busy with many smaller enhancements. Characters statues, both…
Orlando native Betty the tree frog lived the high life of the Cadbury Bunny for a year, but now it’s time to pass on the ears. The Cadbury Bunny tryouts opened this week in search of the next Cadbury Easter bunny. Three former “bunnies,” including Betty, will return to form the first-ever judges panel. Betty…
The post-holiday wintertime used to reliably be a slower time of the year for crowds at Walt Disney World, but in recent weeks wait times have soared and large crowds have filled the parks. With crowd levels now comparable to pre-pandemic levels, it is no surprise that Disney is reopening some of the final holdouts…
Norteño legends Los Tigres del Norte are out on a lengthy and much-anticipated ‘Reunión’ tour, and a Kissimmee date is the one opportunity for Florida fans to have an audience with these icons. ‘Los Jefes de Jefes’ are kicking off their “La Reunión” tour — fear not, the band never really broke up, just took a bit of…
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices ALL ABOARD STORAGE NOTICE OF PUBLIC SALE Personal property of the following tenants will be sold at public sale to the highest bidder to satisfy a rental lien in accordance with Florida Statutes, Sections: A83.801 – 83.809. All units are assumed to contain general household goods unless otherwise indicated. Viewing of…
The former owner of Proper & Wild and the Sanctum Cafe is making her way back into the restaurant game nearly two years after allegations of sexual harassment rocked the restaurant group. Chelsie DiPaolo signed a lease on the restaurant space that used to house Marlow’s Tavern in Winter Park at 1008 S. Orlando Ave.…
If it’s handmade and funky, it will be on hand at Milk Mart’s upcoming Lazy Sunday market. Crescent Creepers’ ocean designs, Afro Rican Art’s handmade leather garments, and music and zines from Backward Noise will be among the last-minute gifts available the day before Valentine’s Day. Milk Mart features over 100 local makers, artists, pop-ups,…
For the first time in forever, Disney’s Frozen musical will open in Orlando. The Broadway show will make its inaugural Orlando run from Feb. 24 t0 March 6 in the Walt Disney Theater of the Dr. Phillips Center. Caroline Innerbichler, who plays Anna in the show, told Broadway Direct that she’s excited to play Anna because she…
A recent story out of Maitland whipped around the internet at a velocity only chain emails and Facebook scams usually reach. The idea that undocumented immigrants were gathering at a hotel in Central Florida moved at the speed of monarchy around social media’s metaphorical retirement homes and bridge clubs, riling up old conservatives enough that…
Real legends never die, they just become paid spokespeople. That’s the life Tom Brady has to look forward to after retiring from the NFL after 22 years. The long-time New England Patriots and current Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback is, from our current vantage point, almost certainly a lock in any Greatest Quarterback of All Time…
Netflix show Cheer is jumping out of your television and on to the IRL stage in Orlando, as part of a national tour. Cheer Live will see stars from the Netflix series — including Gabi Butler and Morgan Simianer — along with squads from Navarro College and Trinity Valley Community College, and an appearance from National Champion cheerleading coach and author Monica…
It’s really not that hard to let out a hearty “fuck Nazis and anyone who associates with them,” at least if you aren’t a Republican politician. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis danced around condemning a small Nazi rally that occurred in Orlando over the weekend, spending much more time on politicians who believe in divesting American…
A high-stakes trial over a new Florida elections law kicked off Monday, as the state and national Republicans square off against more than two dozen plaintiffs alleging that the measure discriminates against Black and Hispanic voters and will curtail third-party registration groups from helping Floridians gain access to the ballot box. The Republican-dominated Legislature approved…
Bonuses of up to $5,000 that Gov. Ron DeSantis has sought to entice law-enforcement officers to Florida are moving through the House as part of a broader package focused on people who don badges. The House Appropriations Committee voted unanimously Monday to approve the measure (HB 3), which supporters say could help understaffed law-enforcement agencies…
A small, historically Black city an hour east of Tallahassee is in the crosshairs of a controversial redistricting plan by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The plan would radically redraw the state’s 5th congressional district and could cost the Black Democrat who represents it his seat in Congress. Madison is a rural community with a population of…
Video from the dash cam of a civilian fire inspector shows him open fire during a road rage dispute in Miami. He told police he opened fire because he thought the other driver had a gun. The other driver was unarmed, but admits to throwing a water bottle. pic.twitter.com/298dmtINRv — Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) January 29,…
In what is the end of an era for downtown Orlando nightlife, dance club Barbarella will be moving from its current Orange Avenue address in just over a month. “Barbarella Orlando is moving!” read a posting on Barbarella’s Facebook page last Friday. “We have been playing 80’s New Wave since 1984 and will continue to do…
How little do you have to accomplish in life to be proud of being born white? How empty is your trophy case? How empty is your life? Nazis didn’t have to sit and ponder these thoughts as they held a rally on Orange County property at the corner of North Alafaya Trail and Waterford Lakes Parkway.…
Florida senators this week will start considering a proposal that would prevent physicians from performing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy, one of the most-controversial issues of the 2022 legislative session. The Senate Health Policy Committee is scheduled Wednesday to take up the proposal (SB 146), filed by Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland. The proposal is…
Saying it is too early to determine whether pursuing the change would be “prudent,” Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has told legislative leaders that it could take about nine years to move away from workplace regulation by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Chris Spencer, director of DeSantis’ Office of Policy and Budget, sent a…
Tampa Bay readies itself for an invasion this weekend. Oceans (and apparently bays) are now battlefields with the Gasparilla Pirate Fest set to go down. The perennial pirate-palooza that is the parade happens in downtown Tampa this Saturday, Jan. 29, a comeback of sorts after the 2021 event was canceled due to the pandemic. Pirates…
Churches and other religious institutions wouldn’t have to turn congregants away because of government orders during future emergencies, under a bill approved Thursday by the Florida Senate. The Senate voted 31-3 to approve the measure (SB 254), which would prohibit emergency orders from “directly or indirectly” preventing religious institutions from conducting services or activities if…
Local musician and leader of the Swamp Sistas performance collective Beth McKee has announced a comeback event for both her and her fellow musical travelers. Their ‘Cosmic Conjunction Funktion’ will be an all-dayer set for March. The Funktion, happening at Will’s Pub in mid-March, promises a day full of performances, open jams on comedy happening…
Rapper Denzel Curry has announced the dates for his 2022 ‘Melt My Eyez’ world tour, and Orlando is one of only two Florida dates later this year. Curry’s Melt My Eyez excursion starts at the beginning of April in Denver and ends at the start of July in Phoenix, Arizona, with some European dates sandwiched…
A state appeals court Thursday said a family did not have a “legal right” to force Mayo Clinic Florida to administer the controversial drug ivermectin to try to keep alive a COVID-19 patient who was on a ventilator. A three-judge panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal released a 12-page opinion that detailed reasons…
Four top professional skateboarders will bring their Red Bull Drop In Tour to Orlando on Feb. 5. The Red Bull tour was a statewide trip with Floridians Jamie Foy, Zion Wright, Alex Sorgente and Brazilian Felipe Gustavo. Orlando’s Plus Skateshop will be the last stop and will feature a skate session in the parking lot,…
NBCUniversal’s parent company, Comcast, announced today that the new Epic Universe theme park is set to open by the summer of 2025 in Orlando. The announcement was made by Chief Financial Officer Michael Cavanagh in the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call. Comcast’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Brian Roberts also announced that Universal Orlando had “…
As more and more convictions come down, the noose is tightening around Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz. The congressman has been at the center of an ongoing sex trafficking probe, centering around the idea that he might have had sex with then-underage sex worker. In a confession from convicted sex trafficker and former Gaetz associate Joel…
The Lunar New Year stops for no virus, but the public celebration in Orlando was called off last year due to the coronavirus. With things back to normal (if you squint), Lunar New Year festivities are back on. The Central Florida Dragon Parade will hit the streets on Feb. 13. This will be the festival’s 10th…
As longtime cranks and shit-stirrers, we can find plenty of ways to take potshots at the record of Val Demings. The current Florida U.S> representative and Senate hopeful made her bones leading the Orlando Police Department, historically one of the most violent police forces in the United States, a country full of trigger-happy thugs in…
Orange County schools will no longer count students who are staying home over fear of catching COVID-19 as an excused absence. Superintendent Barbara Jenkins announced the change in a letter to parents, noting that the new rules take effect on Jan. 31. Jenkins cited the strain of teaching students who are in class and at-home…
Love will be in the air around Orlando come Feb. 14 … as will the sounds of classic New York hardcore, when Murphy’s Law spend Valentine’s Day in the City Beautiful. The NYHC legends — part of a 1980s hardcore scene in the region that included the Cro-Mags and Agnostic Front — are hitting the road…
Winter Park Police Chief Michael Deal resigned his position following an arrest on misdemeanor domestic violence charges last week. Deal sent his letter of resignation to Winter Park City Manager Randy Knight on Wednesday evening. In the letter, Deal praised his staff and told Knight that he was leaving the department in good shape. He…
A proposal aimed at limiting how various race-related concepts are discussed in classrooms and workplace training sessions received initial backing Wednesday in the House, inching forward Gov. Ron DeSantis’ push against critical race theory. The Republican-dominated House Judiciary Committee approved the bill (HB 7) in a 14-7 vote. In part, the proposal seeks to prevent…
A House panel is scheduled Thursday to consider a controversial proposal that would prohibit doctors from performing abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. The proposal (HB 5), sponsored by Rep. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, and Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka, R-Fort Myers, will go before the House Health Care Appropriations Subcommittee after passing the Judiciary Committee last…
Our editors’ selections of the best stuff to do this week. Be sure to double-check with the venue before you set out to any of these events. Through Jan. 30 Ain’t Too Proud Broadway musical tracing the lengthy career arc of Motown icons the Temptations. Walt Disney Theater, Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, 445…
Over the past couple of decades, dozens of jukebox musicals mining the biographies of popular pop groups have made their way to Broadway, but few have equaled Jersey Boys, the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons show that set the standard for the genre. Ain’t Too Proud: The Life and Times of The Temptations reteams…
After a walkout by Democrats who said they weren’t getting answers, a Senate committee Wednesday signed off on the confirmation of controversial state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo. Democrats peppered Ladapo with questions about issues such as his views on COVID-19 vaccinations and wearing masks, before Minority Leader Lauren Book, D-Plantation, announced that Democrats on the…
Elon Musk has never failed to prove himself the richest idiot on Earth. Pretty soon, he’ll hold that title on the moon as well. The man who innovated cars so hard that they started regularly exploding is poised to be the culprit behind the first-ever piece of space junk hitting the moon. An out-of-control, Cape…
After a year spent roasting and shipping out of their Orlando HQ, Haan Coffee Roasters are ready for their public-facing debut. The folks behind the online coffee roastery are opening up a coffee shop in Mills 50. Co-owner Albert Kang told What Now Orlando that he hopes to start construction at 1233 E. Colonial Drive…
If you feel like braving I-95 north, St. Augustine’s Fort Mose has quite a musical lineup coming in February. Jazz singer Gregory Porter, NPR darlings Tank and the Bangas and New Orleans icon Trombone Shorty are all expected to play sets at the historic settlement. For the unfamiliar, Fort Mose was an early free settlement…
A federal appeals court will hear arguments in May in a Florida battle about whether Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings could require passengers to show documentation that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will hear arguments during the week of May 16, according to a notice posted Monday. The…
Overriding objections from Democrats who warned of “the slippery slope of censorship,” Senate Republicans on Tuesday took a first step toward ramping up scrutiny of the way public-school library books and instructional materials are chosen. The proposal (SB 1300), sponsored by Senate Education Chairman Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, was approved by the Republican-controlled Education Committee in…
ARIES (March 21-April 19): Author Helen Hunt Jackson said that one component of happiness is “a little less time than you want.” Why? Because you always “have so many things you want to see, to have and to do” and “no day is quite long enough for all you would like to get done before…
There is definitely something back in the water around here lately. Having sired its own signature sound of global influence in the 1990s, Orlando owns a pretty big chapter in the book of breakbeat. And like the vintage house and rave sounds currently making a revival, breaks are also showing signs of a comeback. Besides…
Premieres Wednesday: American Rock Stars — My pet peeve is when the term “rock star” is applied to people who work in fields other than actual rock music. “He’s like a rock star of accounting!” Yeah, get back to me when his first Texas Instruments calculator is framed and hanging on the wall above a…
After 19 years of debates, delays and disappointments, the long-awaited Steinmetz Hall at downtown Orlando’s Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts finally debuted this month in the grandest fashion imaginable, with a series of world-class concerts befitting the nearly quarter-billion-dollar facility. Featuring a “perfect” N1 acoustical rating and reconfigurable seating with futuristic flipping floors,…
OPENINGS + CLOSINGS: After undergoing an expansion and revamp in late 2020, Kabooki Sushi on Colonial Drive is undergoing yet another expansion — this time, into the 2,000-square-foot space next door. The expansion will see a lounge and private dining area constructed in the former uBreakiFix repair shop. Chef-owner Henry Moso says the lounge will…
Omicron’s ravaging the calendars like a wrecking ball, so definitely check the absolute latest listings for anything you’ve got planned, and mask hard if you head out. There are even a couple of good remote options below for you: Ben Rosenblum Trio: Young NYC jazz pianist, accordionist and composer Ben Rosenblum returns in his nimble…
¶ Invasive water plants taking over I believe this goes along with the manatee story “Environmentalist groups file lawsuit against EPA over record manatee deaths.” The EPA has no desire to do anything unless it fits their narrative. We live on 30 acres and have gone to great lengths to keep our property environmentally friendly.…
Dear Dan: I’m a straight guy but my whole life I have wanted to be spanked by older men. Does this make any sense? Because I’m confused. I don’t like or want penis. Yet I want to be spanked as a punishment by men. I don’t understand myself sometimes. — Sincerely Pondering And Not Knowing…
