Yesterday marked the anniversary for both Walt Disney World‘s Magic Kingdom (43rd) and Epcot (32nd). I had the great fortune to be able to celebrate these parks’ respective 40th and 30th fireworks celebrations. For the 40th Anniversary of the Magic Kingdom in 2011, a group of friends and I had a spectacular experience renting out the Grand 1 Yacht from the Grand Floridian for a unique perspective of these special fireworks. In 2012, I also had a great view of the fireworks at Epcot thanks to friends from the upper level of the Japan pavilion. To commemorate these two great parks and their anniversaries, I’d like to share some of the fantastic fireworks pictures I was able to capture.
First, a few shots of the Grand 1. If you aren’t familiar with this beautiful yacht, it is docked at the Grand Floridian and guests may reserve it for a fee for a specialty cruise scheduled in the evening for the fireworks, for a private lunch with a butler, or just a cruise around the Seven Seas Lagoon and Bay Lake. The yacht can accommodate up to 18 guests plus the captain and deckhand. If you get a chance to do this at any time, but especially for a special fireworks occasion like Fourth of July or New Year’s Eve, I highly recommend getting a group together to experience this awesome vessel. We had the yacht for a couple hours before the fireworks, so we cruised back and forth around Fort Wilderness, Wilderness Lodge, the Contemporary, Polynesian, and the Grand Floridian before settling in to watch the Electrical Water Pageant just feet in front of us. We then were positioned almost directly in front of the train station for the fireworks with some slight drifting with the current it was a magnificent view!
Epcot’s 30th was a fantastic combination of Illuminations and then paying homage to classic Epcot attractions and music with gorgeous fireworks.
Richard Petty Fantasy Racing Camp October 11-14, 2014!
Richard Petty Fantasy Racing Camp will take on THREE NASCAR Sprint Cup tracks!
Designed as the ultimate stock car experience for racing enthusiasts, The Richard Petty Fantasy Racing Camp gives YOU the chance to experience the thrill of driving hundreds of laps on three of NASCAR’s most historic tracks; Charlotte Motor Speedway, Darlington Raceway and Martinsville Speedway over the course of three days, with feedback and coaching provided by industry experts … and legends.
Plus…you and your guest will take in the Bank of America 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Charlotte Motor Speedway from the comfort of a VIP trackside suite.
PROGRAM TRACKS:
The legendary Charlotte Motor Speedway
The historic ‘Lady in Black”, Darlington Raceway
The challenging short track at Martinsville Speedway
CELEBRITY INSTRUCTION AND APPEARANCES BY*:
Dale Inman, winningest crew chief in NASCAR history
Randy LaJoie, two-time Nationwide series champion
Our accomplished team of Petty instructors
… and, of course, rubbing elbows with “The King” himself, Richard Petty!
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE:
VIP treatment (for camp participant and one guest) during Saturday’s Bank of America 500 race
Lunch and dinner events (for camp participant and one guest)
Luxurious four night accommodations (for camp participant and one guest)
Exclusive tour of original Petty Enterprises race shop in Level Cross, NC hosted by Dale Inman
Great gifts that will include custom apparel, in-car video and commemorative photos
…and the racing tales that our team of legends and experts will share, throughout the camp
The registration fee is $9,500 (plus tax). Experience Rewards members receive a $500 discount.Contact us at 704.454.6224 or rick@drivepetty.com to secure your place!
25% Off Driving Experiences at Daytona International Speedway and Walt Disney World Speedway for Florida residents – This year join the Richard Petty Driving Experience and bring out the PETTY in your loved-ones and get all the people on your list what they really want for the Holidays – an experience that will last a lifetime – and the opportunity to drive a NASCAR race car! Florida residents can reserve driving experiences at Daytona International Speedway or Walt Disney World Speedway and receive 25% off, click here for details. Driving Experiences start at $449 – your price only $336.75!
$59 Ride-Alongs– You‘re in the passenger seat riding shotgun for 3 thrilling laps at speeds up to 165mph with our Ride-Along Experience. Now for a limited time we are offering our Ride-Along, valued at $99-$135, at special Holiday pricing starting at $59! Click here to save!
Experience Rewards Members 2-for-1 Holiday Special–Current Experience Rewards members receive 2 Driving Experience reservations for the regular retail price of 1! Now is the time to come back and DRIVE FASTER… FASTER with our Right Seat Instruction (RSI) Driving Format!Click herefor complete details!
Rules and regulations apply. To receive your 25% off a reserved driving experience please click on the button above to continue to our site. Your discount will be displayed at time of checkout. Must present your Florida driver’s license at the track during check-in of your driving experience. Discounts are not valid on Driver Release fee, applicable state sales tax, gift cards, group events or previous purchases. Offers can also be purchased by calling 1.800.237.3889 with promotion code Holiday13RPDE25. To purchase a Ride-Along please click on the button above or call 1.800.237.3889. Offers expire 1/2/14.
I don’t know about you, but I love Halloween! It is such a fun time of year with all the parties going on everywhere!
Last year was little man’s first Halloween, but at 6 months, he was more cute than anything else. We didn’t do too much more than a “costume” and some pictures. This year he’s big enough to go and have fun!
I jumped on the opportunity to take him to SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular this year! Costumes, candy, dance parties and characters, what fun!!
We really had a great time at SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular! Overall it seemed to REALLY be geared towards the little ones, and that was perfect for us. My favorite things are that this special event is included in your regular park admission, it is during regular park hours (i.e. no late nights!) and there are lots of activities going on during Spooktacular!
Little man’s favorite things are the bubbles everywhere, the trick or treat trail (where he could hold his bag closed and try to give his candy/snacks back to people), the dance party and the characters!
One of the things available at a small addition fee was cookie decorating. He had so much fun playing with his cookie and eating it!
It wasn’t very crowded at all while we were there, it was quite nice! Unfortunately this event is only available a few days in the season – just weekends in October, so we were only able to go once. Next year it is definitely on our must do list! Have you been to SeaWorld’s Halloween Spooktacular? What was your favorite part?
Weekly Review September 17-21, 2012 – Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Week And More
Weekly Review time!!! This past week here at On the Go has been full of great stuff, and it has been a little different since we double posted with Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party information about week!!!
Also, we added a new contributor, Beth, to the site! Welcome Aboard!!!
Now it’s time to look back at all that happened September 17-21!!!
Let’s Go!
The Winter Park Sip and Stroll is coming up on September 27th, and it will celebrate the city’s 125th Anniversary of Incorporation!
The Winter Park Sip and Stroll – September 27, 2012
We started our Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party coverage with Tip, Tricks, and Information. There is so much to do and see at Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!!!
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Map – Weekly Review
Legoland Florida and Dream Village Ground Breaking
Then we looked at the Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Merchandise with prices. These tend to go quickly, so if you are attending a Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party you will want to definitely go in search of these items early!
Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party Merchandise – Framed Pin Set – $200.00
And our final Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party post for the week is our Roundtable where we discuss our favorite parts of Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party!
Pooh and Friends in their Halloween finest for Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party.
Thanks for joining us this week at On the Go, and we can’t wait to bring you even more posts next week!!!
Weekly Review time!!! This past week here at On the Go has been full of great stuff, and now it’s time to look back at all that happened September 3-7!!!
Let’s get this party started!!!
We started the week with a look at SeaWorld Orlando’s Animal Rescue Team’s efforts to save stranded pilot whales. SeaWorld Orlando Animal Rescue Team, along with several local agencies, responded on September 1, 2012, to 22 short-finned pilot whales that stranded at Florida’s Avalon State Park Beach in St. Lucie County.
SeaWorld Orlando’s Animal Rescue Team, along with several agencies, responded to 22 short-finned pilot whales that stranded at Florida’s Avalon State Park Beach in St. Lucie County.
Orlando City Soccer shoots and SCORES during their last game of the 2011-2012 Season!
Wordless Wednesday took us to one of my favorite moments in Wishes!
Wordless Wednesday – Wishes!
Scared Shrekless Family Fun is coming to the Gaylord Palms Resort this Halloween offering guests the opportunity to scare up some fun with their favorite characters from Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda!
Scared Shrekless at Gaylord Palms Resort – October 13th and 27th
Betsy took us along on the final leg of her Disneyland in this amazing Trip Report!
httpv://youtu.be/O11z4CWTpqc
We also took a look at the adorable The Tigger Movie that is out now on Blu-Ray.
The Tigger Movie is available now on Blu Ray!
And we ended the week with a giveaway that would make any woman happy…A chance to win a pair of Custom Christian Louboutin shoes! In honor of Disney’s global release of the classic animated masterpiece “Cinderella”, which will be available in Blu-ray™ Diamond Edition on October 2, 2012, Walt Disney Studios, in collaboration with Christian Louboutin and Glam Media, today reveal details of their national quest to find a modern-day Cinderella. One lucky woman whose style and fashion sense best embodies the Cinderella fairytale will ultimately be awarded with a pair of original Cinderella slippers re-imagined by world-renowned shoe designer Christian Louboutin during a private event at Disneyland, CA taking place on September 27th.
Enter the Cinderella Christian Louboutin Giveaway Today!
Thanks for joining us our Weekly Review at On the Go, and we can’t wait to bring you even more posts next week!!! We’ll be covering Nights of Joy at the Magic Kingdom, Disney on Ice: Rockin’ Ever After, LEGOLAND going to galaxies far away, and a ghostly Titanic Experience!
Weekly Review: August 27 – August 31, 2012: Our Week on The Go!
Hidden Gems of WDW, Orlando City Soccer, Halloween at LEGOLAND Florida, Magic Kingdom in the Fall, And Solar Bears Hockey
Its Weekly Review Time!!!! This past week here at On the Go has been full of great stuff, and its almost my favorite time of year which makes me even more excited about all that is going on around Orlando! Now it’s time to look back, with our Weekly Review, at all that happened her at On the Go in MCO August 27th to August 31st!!!
The Week in Review: August 19th – August 24, 2012: Halloween, Adventures, Movies, and More!
This past week here at On the Go has been full of great stuff, and now it’s time to look back at our Week In Reviews so we can see all that happened August 19th to August 24th!!!
Let’s Go!
On Sunday, we brought you news about Cohen’s Deli Opening a Kosher Hotel Near Walt Disney World!
There is a Kosher Hotel coming to the Walt Disney World Area!
Monday brought us news about the 2012 Halloween Merchandise at Walt Disney World! Halloween is my favorite time of year, and this year the merchandise is well designed and even better than last year’s offerings.
Duffy’s Halloween Costume
We are all really pumped for the Orlando Solar Bears to Come Out of Hibernation, and they have signed a new player!
Simon Danis-Pepin Orlando Solar Bears
Tuesday brought the first in our Girls Night Out in Orlando series, where a few of the gals had a fun night at Universal’s CityWalk!
Wordless Wednesday took us to Animal Kingdom at night for a look at the Tree of Life. Animal Kingdom is a beautiful park at night.
Doc McStuffins: Friendship Is The Best Medicine Available August 21, 2012 on DVD
Nights of Joy are coming to Walt Disney World, and we look at the artists that will be performing this year!
We ended the week with Cheryl taking us along for her DVC stay at Bay Lake Tower for One More Disney Day.
Disney Vacation Club Bay Lake Towers Couch Area (courtesy of Betsy Bates)
We also gave away two tickets for the Big Time Summer Tour with Big Time Rush with Special Guest Cody Simpson, coming to the Amway Center on August 28, 2012.
Catch Big Time Rush at the Amway Center with Special Guest Cody Simpson August 28th at 7pm!!!
And finally we took a look at two new logos that the Orlando Solar Bear will be using!
Orlando Solar Bears Opening Night Logo
Thanks for joining us this week in review at On the Go, and we can’t wait to bring you even more posts next week!!!
A few weeks ago some of us On The Go ladies decided to have a impromptu Girls Night Out! Shalon, Megan and I decided to head to Universal Studios City Walk for some festive drinks and music!
We started out at Red Coconut for a few fruity and POTENT Cocktails! I only have one picture of my Lovely WhipTini but let me tell you that their martinis are TO DIE FOR! They have signature drinks and they always make them with extra love 😉
Made with LOTS of Love!!! A Whip Tini at the lovely Red Coconut Club
Club Details:
Dance to live music every Thursday through Saturday night. On all other evenings a DJ spins popular tunes into the wee hours of the night. Every Thursday is Ladies’ night with free admission for ladies.
Hours: Open seven nights a week Sun – Thurs 8 pm to 2 am and Fri – Sat 6 pm to 2 am Charges: Cover is $7, tax included, after 9 pm or as part of the CityWalk Party Pass Phone: For more information, please call the Red Coconut Club Line at 407-224-2425.
Admission is 21 and older and dress code is casual-chic. Attire: Casual-Chic
After we got our drinks we decided to head over to Rising Star! Rising Star is one of my favorite places. Not only do you get to sing Karaoke style but you get a back up band and back up singers!!! They have a VERY extensive list of songs. I wish I could tell you how they pick each singer each night but it seems like a crap shoot lol. There are song lists and sign up forms when you walk in. You choose TWO songs and write them on the slips, you place them in a bucket on the stage and wait… and wait… and sometimes wait…. and wait still yet. There seems to be no rhyme or reason as to how the choosing is done. My suggestion is to pick a up beat and fun song, those seem to be picked more than slow songs. When we got there I immediately put my two song choices down and ordered a drink. The girls and I loved watching the other people on stage. Some are amazing and some are…. let us say less then so 😉 We were having a great time being impatient! Finally my name was on the list! So I went downstairs to I wouldn’t be late! I am sharing this with you all because I love you…. lol. No judging allowed…. well at least not in comments 🙂
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2chC5Wt7Smo
Was it my best? No. Was it a Blast? YES! The backup singers and dancers were so much fun and having a live band behind you instead of just recorded music was a blast. I am looking forward to heading back after this summer when it isn’t as busy for some more singing fun! I also plan on entering their annual Karaoke contest at the end of the summer!
Club Details:
Enjoy karaoke nightly. Tuesday through Saturday nights you can perform with a live band and backup singers, with a host keeping the show moving. Sunday and Monday evenings feature a host, live backup singers and recorded tracks. There’s a large selection of song titles to choose from, in a variety of tempos and styles from hard rock to country ballads to favorite standards. Hours: Open nightly from 8 pm – 2 am Info: Tuesday – Saturday: Live band with backup singers & host
Sunday & Monday: Backup singers and host Cover: $7, no charge to sing
CityWalk Party Passes accepted
Full Bar with signature cocktails
We decided that it was time to shake out tail feathers for the remainder of the night so we headed over to The Groove. Who can pass up dancing with the girls? The place was packed but we got some shaking in and people watched which is always fun as well!
Club Details:
Dance to the best in Top 40, Hip-Hop, R&B and Top Pop Hits. There’s a DJ every night, and occasional appearances by live performers. It’s a different experience every evening!
Hours: Open 9 pm – 2 am 7 days a week Charges: Cover is $7, tax included Must be 21 and older Attire: Casual chic; no hats or tank tops
If you want to take a break from the dance floor there are multiple bars and three themed lounges – the cool Blue Room, which has a futuristic sci-fi feel; the sizzling and romantic Red Room; and the tranquil Green Room, which has a 70’s vibe.
Overall, I love City Walk. It is awesome that you can get lots of different club vibes in one area. We didnt go to Bob Marley or Pat O’Briens this time but rest assured, we will be back! Their dining options are great too! I have NOTHING but good things to say about the fried pickles at Margaritaville! And I will always recommend stopping by the Long Palm Bar and picking up a VooDoo Juice !!!!!!
I can not wait to show you readers out next Girls Night Out activity!!!! We have all sorts of fun things planned!!!!!
Looking for an opportunity to volunteer in the UCF area? Or are you looking for a 5K to run? Are you a huge college sports fan? If you answered yes, you might want to check out the Inaugural Orlando Health Gridiron 5K Challenge, that our friends at the Central Florida Sports Commission have created!
2012 Gridiron 5K Challenge
Check out our review of the latest Disney Chanel Original Movie Let It Shine on DVD and enter for your chance to win a copy!
Let It Shine Comes to DVD August 7, 2012
This week’s Wordless Wednesday takes us over to the Hollywood Drive-In Golf at Universal’s CityWalk!
Hollywood Drive-In Golf Golf at Universal Citywalk
Earlier this summer we told you about SeaWorld rescuing a pregnant manatee that gave birth to an adorable calf, and we updated you about their return to their home in Merritt Island, Florida.
SeaWorld Orlando’s Animal Rescue team prepares calf and mom for transport to Sykes Creek.
Thursday, we were really excited to let you know about Visit Orlando’sMagical Dining Month returning this year in September! This is definitely something you are going to want to check out!!!
We are all super excited about the Solar Bears returning to the ice in Orlando, and they will be returning under their 2001 Turner Cup Championship Banner!
And we wrapped up the week with Cheryl taking a look back at her DVC stay at the Beach Club Villas!
Beach Club Villas Studio Main Room (courtesy of Betsy Bates)
The Week in Review: July 30 – August 3, 2012: Fashion, Celebrities, SUP, & Giveaways!!!
It has been another amazing week here at On the Go, and now it’s time to look back at all that happened July 30th to August 3rd!!!
Let’s Go!
On Monday, Christa Dunbar helped us take a peek at the new Artist Collection for Target! I am going to go broke buying these awesome shirts!!!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLcUg-Id6GU
Also, I took a look at all of the activities you can find at Discovery Cove! This boutique park has a lot more to offer than just swimming with Dolphins!!!
The Dolphin Interaction at Discovery Cove!
We all have a new passion at On the Go, and that is supporting the Orlando City Soccer Club! Check out Aurora’s soccer adventures as she talks about the sport, culture, and fun of being a OCSC Fan!
Cheering For the home town boys!!!
For Wordless Wednesday, I took at a look at one of my favorite Hidden Mickeys at the Magic Kingdom! Arrrr!!!
Pirates of the Caribbean Hidden Mickey in the Gold!
Shalon put together an awesome video highlighting our experience at the Orlando City Soccer Club game against Stoke City!!!
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo62GCoeHTE
CELEBRITY SIGHTING!!! Betsy shares her day at Disney’s Hollywood Studios complete with a Tom Cruise sighting at Toy Story Midway Mania!!!!!
Tom Cruise on Toy Story Midway Mania at Disney’s Hollywood Studios!
LEGOLAND Florida announced their Brick-Or-Treat Halloween Event that will take place later this fall! It looks like it’s going to be a really family-friendly way to celebrate with your favorite ghosts and goblins!
Celebrate Halloween this fall with Brick-Or-Treat at LEGOLAND Florida
This Friday all of us sat down to share our favorite ways to Beat the Heat in the Parks just in time for the dog days of summer in our latest Roundtable discussion!
And we rounded out our week, with Megan looking back at the first in our Florida Adventures Series with our Paddleboarding, SUP, experience with East Coast Paddle in New Smyrna Beach, Florida!
Shelley and Megan Paddleboarding in New Smyrna Beach, FL!
Thanks for joining us this week at On the Go, and we can’t wait to bring you even more posts next week!!!
When I moved to Florida I made an effort to see and do a lot of the things that you can do in the Orlando area. I stumbled across a Living Social deal for a monster truck off-road Eco-Tour in Clermont at the end of the summer last year. It was such a good deal and the eco tour sounded fun so I got a few tickets and promptly forgot about them. It ended up being a good thing that I forgot about them because the best time to go on the eco tour is when oranges are in season.
Monster truck
I picked a Saturday in December to take the Eco-Tour. We got there just in time to check in and climb (yes, climb) into the monster truck before we headed off into the orange groves. Having grown up in the northeast I had visited many apple orchards, but this was my first time on an orange grove. It was really neat to see the trees dotted with the orange fruit, but it was even more amazing since I was riding above them!
Orange trees
One of the first things we learned from our guide was that the grove was one of the suppliers for Florida’s Natural orange juice and that the grove was all organic. The tour brought us past the fields and orange groves and through a forest where our guide told us about the local plants. Before long we were at a new large field with cows running towards the monster truck. I was afraid we were going to hit them but these cows knew what they were doing.
Cows rushing to the monster truck
Cows eating oranges
Our driver parked the truck near a lake and we were told to pull out baskets from under the benches. The baskets were full of oranges that we were able to toss off the truck to the cows. They loved them. According to our driver, they’ve tried to feed the cows other types of citrus fruits, including grapefruit, but the cows only like the oranges. Once all of the oranges were tossed, we continued on our tour, including driving through a deep river. Since it was December, it was too cold for us to be spotting any gators.
This old truck was just screaming "Florida oranges" to me!
After our tour we were able to go off and explore the pick your own. With the exceptions of the pomellos, you are able to sample all of the oranges, tangerines, tangelos, and other fruit. My favorite one that I sampled was the Orlando tangelo. It was amazingly sweet and delicious. Down one of the rows, I saw an old pickup truck that was just screaming classic Florida. Of course I had to stop and get pictures.
The perfect orange
Sometimes you need to reach for the good ones!
Hot sauces available at the market
The Eco-Tour is $20 per adult and $10 per child, with group discounts available. Entrance to the groves is free and you only pay for the fruit you take home. Current prices according to their website are $20 per bushel and $10 per half bushel. There is a country store where you can also pick up some homemade goods and other country goodies.
I highly recommend visiting the Showcase of Citrus if you want a relaxing day away from the parks. The best times to visit are in the fall and winter when the fruit is in season, though they are open in the summer too. Check out their website for more details on how to schedule a tour.
