After years of waiting, Disney finally began revealing its plans for the upcoming 50th-anniversary celebration at Walt Disney World. The “World’s Most Magical Celebration” is slated to kick off October 1, with new shows debuting at three of the four Disney World theme parks. It comes as no surprise that the Magic Kingdom, the heart…
Universal Orlando’s Halloween Horror Nights has made the region one of the biggest spots worldwide for fans of spooky season. Now in its thirtieth year, the event has grown from a small weekend affair to a massive spectacular that lasts multiple months. As crowds grow ever larger, Universal has looked at ways to expand the…
Universal showed they were still pushing forward despite the pandemic when Islands of Adventure welcomed VelociCoaster to its lineup earlier this season. The high-speed, high thrill coaster has quickly become a must-do for many coaster enthusiasts. VelociCoaster and Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure combine to make Universal Orlando a major destination for thrill-seekers. With these…
Orlando Legals Legal Public Notices Extra Space Storage will hold a public auction to sell personal property described below at the location indicated: July 16, 2021 at the times and location listed below. The personal goods stored therein by the following: 12:00 PM Extra Space Storage 1101 Marshall Farms RD, Ocoee 34761 (407) 516 7221: Michael Parker -…
British techno/house godfather Carl Cox is playing a few select North American dates this autumn, and Orlando will be hosting one of them. Cox is set to play Miami, Washington, D.C., and Orlando in early October, thanks to promoters Factory 93. The Orlando appearance will be at downtown’s Vanguard club on Friday, Oct. 1 — the kickoff…
Get your DMT ready. Joe Rogan is coming to Florida. The comic and podcaster will perform “The Sacred Clown” tour at Orlando’s Amway Center on Aug. 28. Tickets start at $46.50 via Ticketmaster. His show begins at 8 p.m. Rogan’s other Florida stops include Tampa’s Amalie Arena and the BB&T Center in Sunrise on the…
Walt Disney World shared the names of its newest park ambassadors today. The top-billed cast members of the park will represent their employer over the next two years. This morning at Epcot, Ali Manion and Raevon Redding were announced as the new ambassadors. Both started their Disney World careers as entertainers, they told the Orlando Sentinel.…
A new technology that reduces motion sickness in rollercoasters may soon come to Universal Orlando. Comcast Corp., partial owner of Universal Parks and Resorts, filed a patent earlier this month that seems to address the issue of motion sickness in rides, according to a report from the Orlando Business Journal. The patent named “Ride Vehicle…
The former CityArts Factory building in downtown Orlando has been sold to a New York company (cue “New York City!” from the old Pace Picante commercial), and it’s anyone’s guess what’s coming next. According to the Orlando Business Journal, after six months on the market the building was sold to New York-based Positively Pine Street LP for…
A small snake startled a troop of gorillas at Animal Kingdom, leading to a tense and hilarious standoff that was captured on video. The funny incident happened at Animal Kingdom’s Gorilla Falls Exploration Trail when a teeny snake slithered its way into their area. @silkystrokesurvivor Gorilla VS Snake #disneyworld #animalkingdom #gorilla #snake #3minutes #3minutevideo #SilkyAF…
As the filibuster has been used in the Senate more and more frequently to block ever-more-popular legislation, many Democrats have called for bringing the anti-democratic practice to an end. House rep and Senate hopeful Val Demings is making the end of the filibuster a key part of her campaign to oust current senator Marco Rubio.…
Icon Park attraction the Museum of Illusions has announced a second ‘Puppy Paw-ty’ set for September. And though your furry friend won’t be able to fully enjoy the museum’s optical tricks and treats, you’ll be able to indulge in some pretty mind-bending photo ops. It’s Christmas card time, is what we’re saying. The one day…
Two years after a fire that virtually destroyed the decades-old Mills 50 restaurant Shin Jung, the Korean spot is slowly reopening. The restaurant has been steadily rebuilding after suffering a near total loss of the building in a 2019 fire. The restaurant owners started a GoFundMe shortly after the overnight blaze erupted at the frequent…
The Orange County Sheriff’s Office has responded to a complaint that one of their officers was “too friendly” to a group of neo-Nazis hanging an anti-Semitic banner over a highway earlier this year. Members of the Neo-Nazi group Goyim Defense League hung a banner over the highway that referred derogatorily to the actions of mohels…
A federal judge on Monday appeared skeptical about a new Florida law aimed at punishing social-media companies that strip users from their platforms or flag users’ content. Online-industry groups NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association this month filed a lawsuit challenging the law, pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis after Twitter and Facebook blocked…
State and federal legislation could be proposed to address construction or engineering issues after the deadly condominium-building collapse in Surfside, where crews continued to search the rubble Monday. Addressing reporters, Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Florida, said they await information from forensic investigations that are proceeding alongside search-and-rescue operations at the…
There’s another electronic dance fest coming to the Orlando area this summer, with big-name headliners the Chainsmokers and sticky-fingered Crocs enthusiast Diplo set to throw down at Kissimmee’s Sunset Walk. The E11EVEN Beach Club Water Park Festival (a mouthful) will be held at Sunset Walk on Aug. 20-21. The pop-up fest is brought to you by the minds…
Disney Cruise Line is the latest company to attempt a test cruise, and the latest to have to delay that test cruise due to the possible presence of COVID-19 among the crew. Under guidelines set by the CDC, cruises can return to sailing after successfully completing a test sailing of their vessel. While Disney was…
Steering money from gambling to public education convinced Florida voters to sign off on a state lottery more than three decades ago. Now, sports-betting behemoths are banking on a similar strategy to legalize sports gambling across the state in a move that could unravel the cornerstone of a $2.5 billion deal recently struck by Gov.…
A nonprofit organization and a translation and interpretation group have come together to provide a helpful resource for Central Floridians. The Center Orlando, in partnership with CCI Group, is now offering free translation services to those seeking their services, expanding the organization’s mission to help the LGBTQIA+ community in Central Florida regardless of the language…
Former Orlando Magic player and current Windermere homeowner Shaquille O’Neal endorsed Aramis Ayala in her campaign to take over Val Demings’ congressional seat. Demings has her eye on ousting longtime Florida senator Marco Rubio and the leap to the upper house has left a vacuum. In its wake, many Central Florida movers and shakers have…
Like many local businesses, Ivanhoe Park Brewing Company had to get creative during the coronavirus pandemic. Their game-ified solution, Camp Ivanhoe, offered merit badges to summertime quenchers who came out for their beers. While the world is considerably more open than it was last summer, the Soused Scouts badges are returning after proving to be…
This is a running list — we will continue to add 4th of July events as we receive them. SATURDAY, JULY 3, 2021 City of Longwood Independence Day Celebration Join us on Saturday for the first-ever Independence Day Celebration at Reiter Park, featuring a Tom Petty tribute band, 12 food trucks, a full bar, assorted…
Though it sounds like a goof(y) at first, Disney on Ice is a reality and headed to Orlando in September. What’s more, On Sept. 3-5 at the Amway Center, Mickey and the gang are ready to bring you “dynamic movements that take place on the ice and in the air,” as they present Mickey’s Search…
More than 50 state law-enforcement officers will depart Monday for Texas and Arizona to help with border control, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday during an appearance near Pensacola. The announcement came after DeSantis earlier in the month said Florida would support a request from Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey for help…
Ginger Minj is in the midst of a very busy week. Not only is the Orlando drag performer featuring in the newest season of RuPaul’s Drag Race All-Stars on Paramount+, but she just dropped a new album called Gummy Bear. Minj was front and center in the season premiere of All-Stars on Thursday. And she…
Kevin Spiegel woke in the middle of the night Thursday to an email alert from his North Miami Beach condo. It had partially collapsed. Spiegel, 65, was in California on a business trip, and he promptly called his daughter, Rachel, to drive to the building and look for his wife, Judith – Rachel’s mother –…
Calling it a “tragic day,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said engineers will need time to determine why most of a 12-story, 40-year-old oceanfront condominium building in Surfside collapsed early Thursday. After getting a glimpse of the damage at the Champlain Towers complex as search-and-rescue efforts remained underway, DeSantis told reporters the state is working with local…
Two years after then-Senate President Bill Galvano made a priority of building and expanding toll roads, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday signed a bill that scraps the controversial plan. Without comment, DeSantis’ office announced Thursday night he signed a measure (SB 100) that repeals what Galvano dubbed the Multi-use Corridors of Regional Economic Significance, or…
MegaCon has added four salespeople to their team, and it’s more than just your average bean-counters. Organizers announced this week that a quartet of cast members of comfort-watching staple The Office have been confirmed for this summer’s convention in Orlando. From Dunder Mifflin’s field office in Scranton, Orlando fans will get to have face time…
Orlando’s Tierney Tough has been involved in the music scene for so long and in so many capacities, most notably as the frontwoman of standard-bearing local indie-rock band the Pauses. But at long last, she’s finally taking some time to do the solo thing. This week, Tough officially makes her solo debut with new single “Apartment…
THREAD (1 OF 2): A $100,000 reward is now available for anyone who can help authorities locate the man who shot one of our officers in the head earlier this evening. The man we're looking for is located in the video below. His name is Othal Wallace. He's 29 years old. pic.twitter.com/hYHNqVLg8C — Daytona Beach…
La Jetée owner Joseph Todd claims his new store offers unique perfumes that are unavailable anywhere else in the City Beautiful. Todd is a known name in ritzy spaces, as he owns the bars Bauhaus and Hanson’s Shoe Repair in downtown Orlando. Related Ver esta publicación en Instagram Una publicación compartida de La Jetée (@lajeteeorlando)…
New York MC Homeboy Sandman announced his return to Orlando in September as part of a North American swing promoting his upcoming Aesop Rock-produced EP, Anjelitu. Sandman plays Will’s Pub on Sunday, Sept. 12, his first show in the City Beautiful since 2019 (fun fact: also at Will’s). Nolan — formerly Nolan the Ninja — is providing touring support. The…
Florida representative Matt Gaetz is currently being investigated for possible sex trafficking by the FBI. The situation doesn’t look good for him, as his former ally Joel Greenberg agreed to cooperate with the feds as part of a plea deal that included admitting guilt in a slew of federal crimes. But Gaetz is an out-of-the-box…
Preparing for changes approved by lawmakers, the state university system’s Board of Governors on Wednesday adopted regulations about athlete compensation and student disciplinary proceedings. Gov. Ron DeSantis last year signed a measure that will permit student athletes to profit from their names, images and likenesses. The regulations approved Wednesday will help carry out the law,…
Today, top military brass had to spend the afternoon at the House Armed Services Committee defending their approach to addressing racism and extremism within the military’s own ranks from Republicans who seem to be very concerned that learning about America’s very racist past is now a bad thing. One of the better moments from the…
Sometimes little ones have to learn lessons the hard way. That goes double on the rough, rough retention ponds and county roads of St. Cloud, Florida. It was there that a group of cranes chased a baby alligator across a road and back before the young dinosaur smartly found his way into a pond. (Fun…
Orange County Public Schools is selling the site where the historic Hungerford Preparatory School once stood. The secondary school for Black students in Eatonville was built in 1897 and OCPS took ownership of back in 1951, then closed the school in 2009, ultimately tearing it down last year. The school district has sent a request…
On Saturday, the U.S. government celebrated Juneteenth National Independence Day for the first time, President Biden having signed a bill enshrining June 19 as a federal holiday two days earlier. Fourteen Republicans, all white men, voted against it in the House. “I cannot support efforts that furthers [sic] racial divisions in this country,” Arizona Rep.…
Last weekend, a slew of far-right grifters, coronavirus truthers and QAnon followers gathered for the “Reopen America Tour” at the River at Tampa Bay Church, which is conveniently run by evangelical conspiracy theorist Rodney Howard-Browne. The three-day event featured top-tier Trump World guests like disgraced national security advisor and military coup-wanter Michael Flynn, accused tax…
As part of the city’s ongoing campaign to remove Confederate iconography and apologia, Orlando has unveiled a new street name in Englewood Park. The city opted to replace the name of Confederate general Stonewall Jackson with legendary baseball player Roberto Clemente. The road runs in front of a middle school that was also previously named…
Come Out With Pride wants you to take a ‘seat at the table’ on Wednesday evening for a virtual event that explores the personal meanings behind Pride Month for many in our community. Tonight at 7 p.m., the virtual event “Come Out With Pride Presents A Seat at the Table: Pride – More Than a…
Comedic royalty Katt Williams regrets to inform you that we will soon be at war, as the stand-up star brings his “World War III” tour to Orlando later this summer. Williams headlines Addition Financial Arena on Saturday, Aug. 28, with a Jacksonville arena show the previous night. Williams can currently be seen on your choice…
During a meeting on June 23, the Seminole County School Board voted to remove that county’s mask mandate for teachers and students in public schools. The removal of the mask mandate is effective immediately. Students and teachers who voluntarily choose to wear masks will still be allowed to cover up. The school board noted in…
Saying he wants Florida to be the “number-one state for civic literacy,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed bills aimed at boosting civics education in public schools and gauging “intellectual freedom” on college campuses. During a bill-signing event at a Fort Myers middle-school library, DeSantis capped some of his priorities from the legislative session that…
We’re getting a new sibling. Euclid Media Group, which owns Orlando Weekly, announced today that it has bought LEO Weekly, an award-winning alt-weekly based in Louisville, Kentucky. The paper was founded in 1990 by John Yarmuth and owned by his son, Aaron Yarmuth, until the sale to EMG. Like most papers across the country, LEO…
Two of the activities I’ve missed the most over the past 18-odd months were spending the evening socializing at a friend’s house and enjoying an intimate musical performance in an indoor venue. Last Tuesday, June 15, I killed two pandemic-era birds with one stone by attending a cabaret concert by local crooner Kevin Kelly and…
After 11 years of being on the front lines of the battle against Obamacare, will last week’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling finally end Florida’s fierce resistance to the federal health care law? It may seem like ancient history now, but former Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum led the charge in the initial major challenge to…
Letters to the Editor
Premieres Wednesday: Good on Paper — Iliza Shlesinger wrote and stars in this romcom about a stand-up comic who suspects her new boyfriend may be too good to be true. Of course he is: He’s OK with dating a stand-up comic! (Netflix) Too Hot to Handle — In Season 2, 10 more singles compete to…
My picks of the best concerts of the week: Patterson Hood: Landing the Drive-By Truckers frontman for the first of only two Florida dates is as big a shot across the bow as Tuffy’s has fired so far this year, now that the Sanford spot has its own proper live venue. This solo engagement is…
Punk ain’t dead, and neither are you. Two decades on and one horrifying global pandemic later, Wyoming punks Teenage Bottlerocket are hitting the road with their “Safety First, Party Second” tour, a celebration of survival that kicked off in Nashville on June 22. Lucky for us, there are a clutch of Florida stops, including Tuesday…
The best stuff to do this week. Wednesday, June 23Patterson HoodTuffy’s showcases their most major-league booking to date: Patterson Hood, the leader of vanguard alt-country band the Drive-By Truckers. 8 p.m., $30-$65. Tuffy’s Music Box, 200 Myrtle Ave., Sanford, tuffyscider.com Thursday, June 24Ann WilsonLegendary Heart vocalist and godmother of the Seattle music scene Wilson brings…
Staying motivated during the last year says a lot about a man, and when it comes to comedian Brian Regan, his actions speak volumes. While we were doom-scrolling in our pajamas, his third special, Brian Regan: On the Rocks, came out on Netflix. While we were proofing our sourdough, he was playing Mugsy on Amazon…
