Visit Orlando Blog

The Westin Orlando Universal Boulevard Celebrates 5th Year Anniversary

The AAA Four Diamond Westin Orlando Universal Boulevard is celebrating its 5^th year anniversary. The former Westin Imagine Orlando, located within walking distance from the Orange County Convention Center and close to key Orlando attractions, is also home to Fiorella's Cucina Toscana (pictured below), an Italian restaurant headed by award-winning Executive Chef Robert Mason that offers fresh, simple and authentic Italian dishes from the regions of Tuscany and northern Italy.

The new name/5 years celebration is fully loaded with special hotel packages and culinary offerings throughout the year:

• Fiorella's Cucina Toscana's Lobby Bar menu will be featuring "5" appetizers and "5" beverages for $5 daily from 5:00p.m. to 7:00p.m.
• Fiorella's Cucina Toscana will roll-out the Mercado Menu dining menu that will feature some of the favorite dishes from the hotel's opening.
• "The 5 Ways to Save" leisure package offers a two-night weekend stay in a one-bedroom suite with 25% off "Flexible Rates," 25% off parking, 25% off a full-American Breakfast in Fiorella's and two souvenir cups with unlimited fountain drinks from ACQUA Pool Bar.

With such a close proximity to the fun and action, great culinary experience and that distinguished Orlando service, is no wonder that guests can truly get more from an Orlando vacation, not only from the Westin Orlando Universal Boulevard but also from all the other great resorts in Orlando.   

Take a Stroll through Orlando’s Museums

Orlando has it all, family-friendly experiences, theme parks, outdoor adventures, attractions, awesome culinary and a rich cultural experience. In Orlando you will find live theatre, music, dance, art, film but most of all, time transporting and awe inspiring museums! Take a stroll through some of Orlando's museums:

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art

The Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of America Art is a must-stop for the Winter Park visitors. The museum is home to the world's most comprehensive collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany jewelry, pottery, paintings, art glass, an all-new fountain pen gallery, windows, lamps, assorted objet d'arts and the chapel interior the artist designed for the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago (pictured above). Admission cost is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $1 for students and free for children 12 and under. The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday.

Hannibal Square Heritage Center

The Hannibal Square Heritage Center is another Winter Park gem. Visitors are invited to appreciate archival of photos and oral history of Winter Park's historic African-American community. Admission is free and open to the public Monday through Friday.                  

Historic Waterhouse Residence & Carpentry Shop Museum

The Historic Waterhouse Residence & Carpentry Shop Museum, constructed in 1884, was home to pioneer settler William H. Waterhouse. Admission is $3 for adults, $2 for seniors, $2 for children and free for members and children three years and younger.

Orange County Regional History Center

The Orange County Regional History Center, located in Downtown Orlando, first opened in 1942 in the 1892 red brick Orange County Courthouse.  Affiliated with the Smithsonian, the History Center (pictured above) uses art, artifacts and interactive exhibits to tell the story of how modern Orlando came to be. For hours and admission prices visit historycenter.org.

Orlando Museum of Art

The Orlando Museum of Art is located in Loch Haven Park and is a nationally accredited facility with a permanent collection of African, American, Ancient American and contemporary American art and graphics. Admission is $8 for adults, $7 for seniors, military, groups of 10 or more and college students, $5 for children 4 through 17 and free for members and ages 3 and under.

Mennello Museum of American Art

The Mennello Museum of American Art is located on the picturesque shore of Lake Formosa in Loch Haven Park and showcases changing exhibitions featuring American art of all genres and time periods, including originally curated and traveling shows. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for seniors, $1 for students and children 6 through 18 and free for children under 6 and active military.

Wells' Built Museum of African-American History

The Wells' Built Museum of African-American History features exhibits, artifacts and memorabilia from the period in which Orlando's cultural fabric was defined by African-American artists and performers.

Winter Park Historical Association and Museum

The Winter Park Historical Museum features exhibits that portray how the city of Winter Park grew from a seasonal resort to a year-round city recognized for education, arts and leisure. Admission is free.

Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Arts

The Zora Neale Hurston National Museum of Fine Art is located in Eatonville, the nation's oldest incorporated African-American community and celebrates the works of the local author and other artists of African descent. Admission is free. The museum is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Saturdays from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

For more information about events and our museums click here.

Orlando’s Live Entertainment Hot Spots

From rock ‘n roll and country to comedians and dancers, Orlando's after-hours entertainment scene features a variety of live performances and everlasting memories. 

Once the sun goes down, Orlando's after-hours experiences begin to heat up - especially when it comes to live entertainment.  In the heart of International Drive in an industrial dive bar is DRIP, an explosion of color and movement, backed by a live rock band.  Known for its highly visual innovative and messy performance, DRIP creates a sensory environment with colored sand, raining paint, and flying water - not to mention beer available in a rainbow of orange, yellow, red and blue.  Just a few steps away at Pointe Orlando is The Orlando Improv Comedy Club & Dinner Theatre, the career launching pad for dozens of familiar faces of TV and film and a great place to share some laughs. 

Another great location to see top-touring stand-up comics, as well as nationally known and up-and-coming music acts, is Hard Rock LIVE Orlando at Universal CityWalk.  Featuring the latest in sound and lighting technology, Orlando's "Coliseum of Rock" seats up to 3,000 and features a full bar and concession area.  Within the Downtown Disney entertainment complex are another two great venues for live entertainment - the House of Blues Orlando, featuring live music and dining, and La Nouba by Cirque du Soleil, an extraordinary avant-garde spectacle with more than 65 artists performing improbable feats of incredible strength and breathtaking beauty.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - Diagon Alley Coming to Universal Orlando

Get excited, muggles!

The Harry Potter phenomenon is expanding at Universal Orlando Resort with the announcement of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter- Diagon Alley coming in 2014. This new expansion will allow guests to enjoy a multi-park experience as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter entertains guests both at Universal Studios Florida and Universal's Islands of Adventure. Diagon Alley and ‘London' will be located within the Universal Studios Florida theme park, which is adjacent to Universal's Islands of Adventure theme park, where guests now experience Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. The new area, which guests can travel to from Hogsmeade aboard the Hogwarts Express, will be just as expansive, immersive and authentic as the existing themed environment.

When complete, the new area will feature shops, a restaurant and an innovative, marquee attraction based on Gringotts bank - all directly inspired by the fiction and films.

Mother’s Day Activities in Orlando

Mother's Day is right around the corner and we'd like to give you a couple of ideas to celebrate. From brunch shows to decadent dinners, Mother's Day in Orlando is sure to be filled with surprises and treats.

• For an upscale experience and gourmet cuisine, try brunch at The Peabody Orlando's Capriccio Grill. If young children are part of this special day, you may opt to visit The Bistro at the Hilton Orlando where Mom will be able to take photos with Shamu and Friends while children entertain themselves with craft stations.
• If you're looking for some Southern flair and hospitality, head toward the Enzian Theatre for a buffet brunch with live music and mimosas. To top it off, sit back, relax and enjoy O'Hara and Butler in Gone with the Wind.
• Medieval Times will let mom in free of charge so she can enjoy the heart-pounding show while being treated like a queen.
• At The Black Hammock, moms can enjoy a free air boat ride followed by a home cooked ham dinner.
• Take her for a stroll through Bok Tower Gardens and enjoy carillon concerts or visit Harry P. Leu Gardens for free admission on her special day.
• End your day with an exquisite dinner experience at FishBones, where mom can enjoy a free filet with her loved ones.

For a list of events on Mother's Day weekend click here.

Fun Spot America Opens More Fun Space

Fun Spot America, will open phase one of its biggest expansion ever on June 8^th. The family fun amusement park, already a popular hit for their go-kart tracks, will now feature a new White Lighting wooden coaster, the second biggest SkyCoaster in the world (now Orlando's 10^th largest structure) and a new suspended rollercoaster called Vekoma (pictured below). The new area will also have a casual dining establishment, family friendly rides, prizes and more. Both admission and parking are free.

Phase two will open by 2015 with the addition of a water park, dinner show and food court.

Construction Begins for All-New I-Drive Live

Construction has already begun, and by early 2014, visitors will have an exciting new dining, entertainment and shopping area to explore, as Phase I of the I-Drive Live project is set to open.  Occupying 95,000 square feet of space, the $200 million project will ultimately boast more than 75 shops, restaurants and attractions, including a 25,000-square-foot Madam Tussauds wax museum, 25,000-square-foot Sea Life Aquarium and a central building with national tenants, yet to be named. 

Kings Bowl, which provides good food, great music and a memorable bowling experience, is already open.  The focal point of the project, and probably one of the coolest parts too, will be the 425-feet Orlando Eye observation wheel, which will reward visitors with a nearly 30 minute journey into the air to enjoy Orlando's unique skyline.  Shops and restaurants will continue to open with the final stage to be complete within 24 months.

East End Market opening this Summer in Orlando

East End Market will be an urban public market that will open its doors to this summer 2013. The market will be located in Audubon Park and will host small, independently owned food merchants and the exterior will be landscaped with edible and Florida-friendly varietals.

This will be the first of its kind in the Southeast and will be home to a new farm-fresh restaurant called Txokos, a new culinary concept from the owners of Spanish River Grill in New Smyrna, FL. Txokos, owned by Chef Henry Salgado and his wife, Michelle, will be an entirely different concept focusing on food and wine specific to the Basque region of Spain. Chef Henry cooks up creative specialties using a blend of regional ingredients strongly influenced by the bustling barrios of Latino neighborhoods and the traditional Spanish countryside, while Michelle manages the restaurant. Salgado was a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2012.

For more information about this local food hub visit eastendmkt.com

New Transformers Attraction Opens June 20 at Universal Orlando Resort

Following the unexpected arrival of Megatron to Downtown Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort invites all guests to prepare for battle as their new ride, Transformers: The Ride - 3D, opens on June 20^th, 2013. The new addition, one of many exciting new things in Orlando this year, will bring the intergalactic battle between the Autobots and the Decepticons to Universal Studios Florida.

Megatron Arrives in Orlando

Stay tuned for more news! Universal Orlando Resort will release the opening date of Transformers: The Ride - 3D tomorrow May 2^nd.