Walt Disney World is experimenting with new crowd-control methods in some of its busiest in-park restaurants, hoping to make the facilities more pleasant for guests and more profitable for the resort.
Inside four quick-service restaurants in the Magic Kingdom, Disney has begun restricting access — but guaranteeing seating — during particularly busy lunch rushes. Managers say the approach helps smooth out traffic in part by eliminating the need for groups to split up and send someone to order food while another person holds an open table — something that can clog up as much as one-third of a restaurant's capacity at any given time.
"This has been very helpful for us from an efficiency standpoint, because everything's so well-organized," said Liz Clark, general manager of food and beverage in the Magic Kingdom.
The tinkering illustrates one of the small ways theme parks have sought to squeeze more money out of existing operations — beyond top-level cost cuts — in the midst of a recession that has sapped attendance and guest spending.
Disney does not break out how much restaurant sales contribute to the revenue of individual theme parks. But experts say it is substantial.
"The food-and-beverage operations are very significant in the overall bottom line," said Mary Jo Ross, a former multi-unit restaurant manager at Universal Orlando and an assistant professor at the University of Central Florida's Rosen College of Hospitality Management.
Disney says the restaurant changes are part of an internal initiative called "The Basics," in which employees have been urged to re-emphasize customer service.
Busy, in-park restaurants are an obvious target for improvements; around noon on a busy day, they can rival the longest ride queues in terms of crowds, noise and stress levels.
"It wasn't really a good way to decompress or relax. So we've been really focusing on how we can enhance the whole dining experience," Clark said.
Under the controlled-access and -seating program, guests in certain Magic Kingdom counter-service restaurants are steered through a single entrance so workers can keep tabs on how many people are inside.
A greeter hands menus and steers the entire group to cash registers to place their orders. After they get their food, they are guided by another employee to an empty table.
Implementing the change is trickier than it may sound. For example, the restaurants have multiple entrances, so Disney restaurant managers have had to work with the resort's "Imagineers" to work out new ways of guiding traffic through a single point.
Clark said the program has already evolved based on feedback from guests. The menus that greeters hand out were initially only available in English and were done entirely in text; they have since been changed to include multiple languages, pictures of the menu selections, and information about using a pre-purchased dining plan that Disney sells to resort guests.
Disney began testing the concept in the Pecos Bill Tall Tale Inn and Café. But it has since been rolled out to three other busy counter-service restaurants: Columbia Harbour House, Pinocchio Village Haus and Cosmic Ray's Starlight Café. Those restaurants range in size from about 400 seats to more than 1,000 at Pecos Bill and Cosmic Ray's.
The controlled access is used only when that day's park attendance warrants.
Clark said the results have been overwhelmingly positive, both in terms of praise from guests who report a more-relaxed dining experience and in terms of reducing congestion inside the restaurants, where, like on a busy highway, small backups can cascade over the course of a day into lengthier delays.
Disney has also made other, subtler changes. At Pecos Bill, for instance, the resort has added self-service ordering kiosks, though guests can still opt to order from a human cashier.
Workers also recently replaced highly themed, high-backed chairs at Pecos Bill with smaller, less clunky stools. The switch, which Disney said was made on the suggestion of a restaurant worker, has allowed the restaurant to add an extra seat at many tables and improved the aisles between tables, helping alleviate further bottlenecks.
Friday, October 9, 2009
SeaWorld Orlando will flip to new owner After months of talks, Busch Entertainment will be sold to Blackstone Group for up to $2.7 billion
Shamu finally has a new owner.
After months of negotiations, Anheuser-Busch InBev announced Wednesday that it will sell SeaWorld Orlando's parent Busch Entertainment Corp. to the Blackstone Group for as much as $2.7billion.
Blackstone, the New York-based private-equity giant, will pay $2.3billion in cash plus give A-B InBev the right to participate in as much as $400million of its initial returns. Blackstone will own 100 percent of Busch.
The deal has sweeping implications both for Orlando and the global tourism industry.
Orlando-based Busch Entertainment is the second-busiest theme-park operator in the United States, with a chain of 10 theme parks that stretches from Pennsylvania to California and draws about 25million visitors a year. It has approximately 10,000 employees in Central Florida alone, where its properties include SeaWorld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove.
Blackstone, meanwhile, already holds a 50percent stake in Orlando's No.2 theme-park resort — and fierce SeaWorld competitor — Universal Orlando. The buyout firm also owns Merlin Entertainments Group, the British amusement-park operator with properties such as Legoland theme parks and Madame Tussauds wax museums.
'An exciting day'
Blackstone will retain Busch Entertainment's senior management and operate the company as a stand-alone investment.
"This is an exciting day in BEC history," Busch Entertainment President Jim Atchison said during an interview. Blackstone brings "an awful lot of strategic vision for us. We're going to continue to grow the business together."
Blackstone pledged to continue spending money on new attractions and other additions for the Busch properties, which also include SeaWorld parks in San Diego and San Antonio and Busch Gardens parks in Tampa and Williamsburg, Va. It also said it intends to give Busch Entertainment executives relatively free rein in day-to-day management.
"We have deep sector experience and look forward to working with the excellent BEC management team to continue to invest in and grow the company," Joseph Baratta, a senior managing director at Blackstone, said in a prepared statement.
With the deal, Busch Entertainment will for the first time become an independent company, rather than merely a division under the corporate umbrella of a beer conglomerate. Because of that, it will soon begin hiring to fill roles in areas such as legal, procurement and tax that had previously been handled by Anheuser-Busch.
"This is a big thing for Orlando, not just BEC," Atchison said. He said no jobs will be cut as part of the transaction.
Busch Entertainment will take on about $1.3billion in debt to finance the deal, according to a person familiar with the details. Blackstone is also contributing $1billion in equity.
Few changes likely
Visitors are likely to see few changes at the parks. The sale includes a sponsorship agreement with Anheuser-Busch that will permit Busch Entertainment to continue using names such as "Busch Gardens" and continue promotional campaigns such as the "Here's to the Heroes" program, in which members of the military can get free admission.
The parks will also continue to serve Anheuser-Busch beers.
Perhaps the most noticeable change: Budweiser's iconic Clydesdale horses will be removed from SeaWorld's in-park stables; Atchison said the horses will remain a part of Anheuser-Busch's beer-marketing division. Some Anheuser-Busch signs will also likely be taken down in coming weeks.
But beyond that, "I don't think guests will see a change," Atchison said. "There's going to be a lot of continuity."
Executives at Blackstone and InBev first began discussing a possible deal for the theme parks about 15months ago, according to a person familiar with the talks — even before Belgium-based InBev had completed its $52billion acquisition of St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch. InBev executives wanted to use money raised by selling the parks — along with other noncore assets — to help pay down debt stemming from the merger.
Though other suitors are thought to have expressed interest in the Busch parks early on, the person familiar with the talks said A-B InBev had been negotiating exclusively with Blackstone for the past six months.
The negotiations were slowed by the collapse of the global credit markets last fall, which made multibillion-dollar transactions such as the Busch sale nearly impossible to finance. The difficult economic environment also clearly contributed to the $2.7billion price tag, which was substantially lower than the $4billion-plus that some analysts initially suggested Busch Entertainment could fetch.
The sale was also made tricky by Blackstone's desire to continue using the Busch name, which keeps one of A-B InBev's better-known brands intertwined with the parks even though the company itself no longer is.
"We're pleased to have reached an agreement with a buyer who understands the industry and will take a strategic approach to its future," said A-B InBev spokesman Michael Torres. The sale, he added, "met our criteria in terms of value, certainty and timing, among other factors."
Lengthy process
As rumors of a potential sale heightened in recent weeks, analysts speculated that Blackstone could ultimately seek to package Busch with Merlin ahead of an initial public offering or pair it with Universal Orlando — which it co-owns with NBC Universal — to create a more formidable competitor to Walt Disney World, the busiest U.S. theme-park operator.
But Blackstone says it does not intend to pursue any such combination; the firm noted that it bought Busch, Universal and Merlin out of separate investment funds with separate investors and interests.
The Busch Entertainment sale is likely to take several months to close.
After months of negotiations, Anheuser-Busch InBev announced Wednesday that it will sell SeaWorld Orlando's parent Busch Entertainment Corp. to the Blackstone Group for as much as $2.7billion.
Blackstone, the New York-based private-equity giant, will pay $2.3billion in cash plus give A-B InBev the right to participate in as much as $400million of its initial returns. Blackstone will own 100 percent of Busch.
The deal has sweeping implications both for Orlando and the global tourism industry.
Orlando-based Busch Entertainment is the second-busiest theme-park operator in the United States, with a chain of 10 theme parks that stretches from Pennsylvania to California and draws about 25million visitors a year. It has approximately 10,000 employees in Central Florida alone, where its properties include SeaWorld, Aquatica and Discovery Cove.
Blackstone, meanwhile, already holds a 50percent stake in Orlando's No.2 theme-park resort — and fierce SeaWorld competitor — Universal Orlando. The buyout firm also owns Merlin Entertainments Group, the British amusement-park operator with properties such as Legoland theme parks and Madame Tussauds wax museums.
'An exciting day'
Blackstone will retain Busch Entertainment's senior management and operate the company as a stand-alone investment.
"This is an exciting day in BEC history," Busch Entertainment President Jim Atchison said during an interview. Blackstone brings "an awful lot of strategic vision for us. We're going to continue to grow the business together."
Blackstone pledged to continue spending money on new attractions and other additions for the Busch properties, which also include SeaWorld parks in San Diego and San Antonio and Busch Gardens parks in Tampa and Williamsburg, Va. It also said it intends to give Busch Entertainment executives relatively free rein in day-to-day management.
"We have deep sector experience and look forward to working with the excellent BEC management team to continue to invest in and grow the company," Joseph Baratta, a senior managing director at Blackstone, said in a prepared statement.
With the deal, Busch Entertainment will for the first time become an independent company, rather than merely a division under the corporate umbrella of a beer conglomerate. Because of that, it will soon begin hiring to fill roles in areas such as legal, procurement and tax that had previously been handled by Anheuser-Busch.
"This is a big thing for Orlando, not just BEC," Atchison said. He said no jobs will be cut as part of the transaction.
Busch Entertainment will take on about $1.3billion in debt to finance the deal, according to a person familiar with the details. Blackstone is also contributing $1billion in equity.
Few changes likely
Visitors are likely to see few changes at the parks. The sale includes a sponsorship agreement with Anheuser-Busch that will permit Busch Entertainment to continue using names such as "Busch Gardens" and continue promotional campaigns such as the "Here's to the Heroes" program, in which members of the military can get free admission.
The parks will also continue to serve Anheuser-Busch beers.
Perhaps the most noticeable change: Budweiser's iconic Clydesdale horses will be removed from SeaWorld's in-park stables; Atchison said the horses will remain a part of Anheuser-Busch's beer-marketing division. Some Anheuser-Busch signs will also likely be taken down in coming weeks.
But beyond that, "I don't think guests will see a change," Atchison said. "There's going to be a lot of continuity."
Executives at Blackstone and InBev first began discussing a possible deal for the theme parks about 15months ago, according to a person familiar with the talks — even before Belgium-based InBev had completed its $52billion acquisition of St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch. InBev executives wanted to use money raised by selling the parks — along with other noncore assets — to help pay down debt stemming from the merger.
Though other suitors are thought to have expressed interest in the Busch parks early on, the person familiar with the talks said A-B InBev had been negotiating exclusively with Blackstone for the past six months.
The negotiations were slowed by the collapse of the global credit markets last fall, which made multibillion-dollar transactions such as the Busch sale nearly impossible to finance. The difficult economic environment also clearly contributed to the $2.7billion price tag, which was substantially lower than the $4billion-plus that some analysts initially suggested Busch Entertainment could fetch.
The sale was also made tricky by Blackstone's desire to continue using the Busch name, which keeps one of A-B InBev's better-known brands intertwined with the parks even though the company itself no longer is.
"We're pleased to have reached an agreement with a buyer who understands the industry and will take a strategic approach to its future," said A-B InBev spokesman Michael Torres. The sale, he added, "met our criteria in terms of value, certainty and timing, among other factors."
Lengthy process
As rumors of a potential sale heightened in recent weeks, analysts speculated that Blackstone could ultimately seek to package Busch with Merlin ahead of an initial public offering or pair it with Universal Orlando — which it co-owns with NBC Universal — to create a more formidable competitor to Walt Disney World, the busiest U.S. theme-park operator.
But Blackstone says it does not intend to pursue any such combination; the firm noted that it bought Busch, Universal and Merlin out of separate investment funds with separate investors and interests.
The Busch Entertainment sale is likely to take several months to close.
Attractions discounts for Oct. 9 and beyond
Here's a selection of attractions offering reduced prices:
Aquatica: off BeachLine Expressway at Interstate 4 southwest of Orlando; 407-351-3600; Pick Two combined pass for Florida residents to any two "Worlds of Discovery" parks (Aquatica, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld and Adventure Island) for $79.95. Regular admission is $44.95 adults, $38.95 children; 407-351-3600.
Discovery Cove: adjacent to SeaWorld Orlando, off BeachLine Expressway at Interstate 4 southwest of Orlando; 1-877-4-DISCOVERY; $199 plus tax including a dolphin-swim experience, $99 plus tax without for Florida residents (through Dec. 18). Regular admission is $289 plus tax including a dolphin-swim experience, $189 plus tax without.
Sweet Glides Segway Tours: 915 Outer Road, Suite 200, Orlando; 407-668-7838 or sweetglides.com; $5 off for Florida residents (through Oct. 31). Regular admission is $45-$60.
Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure: Universal Orlando, Interstate 4 and Kirkman Road, Orlando; 407-363-8000 or universalorlando.com; Florida resident two-park season pass for $99.99 (valid through Dec. 31). Regular one-day one-park admission is $73 adults, $63 ages 3-9, free age 2 and younger.
Walt Disney World parks: off Interstate 4 southwest of Orlando; 407-824-4321 or disneyworld.com. Free admission on birthdays with valid ID (through 2009), free five-day base ticket with Park Hopper option for active and retired military (through Dec. 23, 2009), Florida resident admission is $67.50 general, $56.70 ages 3-9 (advance purchase only). Regular admission is $79 general, $68 ages 3-9, free age 2 and younger.
Wet 'n Wild: 6200 International Drive, Orlando; 407-351-1800; Weekday Annual Pass good for Monday-Friday for a year for $49.99 plus tax, Florida resident single-day pass for $31 plus tax all ages, Splash Pass "Buy a Day, Get the Rest of 2009 Free" offer for $44.95. Regular price is $44.95 plus tax general, $38.95 plus tax seniors and ages 3-9 ($10 off after 2 p.m.).
Copyright © 2009, Orlando Sentinel
Aquatica: off BeachLine Expressway at Interstate 4 southwest of Orlando; 407-351-3600; Pick Two combined pass for Florida residents to any two "Worlds of Discovery" parks (Aquatica, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld and Adventure Island) for $79.95. Regular admission is $44.95 adults, $38.95 children; 407-351-3600.
Discovery Cove: adjacent to SeaWorld Orlando, off BeachLine Expressway at Interstate 4 southwest of Orlando; 1-877-4-DISCOVERY; $199 plus tax including a dolphin-swim experience, $99 plus tax without for Florida residents (through Dec. 18). Regular admission is $289 plus tax including a dolphin-swim experience, $189 plus tax without.
Sweet Glides Segway Tours: 915 Outer Road, Suite 200, Orlando; 407-668-7838 or sweetglides.com; $5 off for Florida residents (through Oct. 31). Regular admission is $45-$60.
Universal Studios & Islands of Adventure: Universal Orlando, Interstate 4 and Kirkman Road, Orlando; 407-363-8000 or universalorlando.com; Florida resident two-park season pass for $99.99 (valid through Dec. 31). Regular one-day one-park admission is $73 adults, $63 ages 3-9, free age 2 and younger.
Walt Disney World parks: off Interstate 4 southwest of Orlando; 407-824-4321 or disneyworld.com. Free admission on birthdays with valid ID (through 2009), free five-day base ticket with Park Hopper option for active and retired military (through Dec. 23, 2009), Florida resident admission is $67.50 general, $56.70 ages 3-9 (advance purchase only). Regular admission is $79 general, $68 ages 3-9, free age 2 and younger.
Wet 'n Wild: 6200 International Drive, Orlando; 407-351-1800; Weekday Annual Pass good for Monday-Friday for a year for $49.99 plus tax, Florida resident single-day pass for $31 plus tax all ages, Splash Pass "Buy a Day, Get the Rest of 2009 Free" offer for $44.95. Regular price is $44.95 plus tax general, $38.95 plus tax seniors and ages 3-9 ($10 off after 2 p.m.).
Copyright © 2009, Orlando Sentinel
Universal Studios: Meet the head behind the Horror Nights
Michael Roddy started his career at Universal Studios portraying a Ghostbuster in 1992. Cut to today, when he’s one of the writer/director/creative masterminds behind Universal Orlando’s marquee events, including Halloween Horror Nights now staging its 19th edition.
Roddy, 41, a former actor who grew up in Atlantic Beach, Tampa and Atlanta, talks about his childhood influences (a certain shark, a classic monster) and the happiest days with the Horror Nights. (Photo by Joe Burbank, Orlando Sentinel)
Question: When I first met you, your name tag indicated you were from Amity. That’s a Jaws thing, right?
Answer: I have "Amity Island, Mass." I saw Jaws when I was 6 years old, and it was a huge influence on me. I recognize that movie along with The Wolfman and Frankenstein — and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein in specific — as being films that made me say "I want to do that. I want to make movies or tell stories like that." I’ve been pursuing that ever since.
Q: Did Jaws freak you out?
A: I loved the story, I loved the way the story was told, I loved the humor, but also it scared me. I realized that "Wow, you can be terrified in this seat." All of a sudden I was transported out in the middle of the Atlantic ocean and being pursued by a 30-foot great white shark. And after it was done, I stood up and walked out into the sunlight and was fine. The fact that films or stories that had much power to transport you from sitting in a seat to fearing and sweating and heart palpitations and freaking out, I think, was probably the thing that was so attractive to me about being in some type of story-telling.
It goes back to just telling a good ghost story. In the right settings, you can freak a room out by nothing more than how you timber your voice and talk to people and put a story together.
Q: So Jaws was your gateway drug to other horror films. This interest grew in your teens?
A: From that point forward, I was always a movie fan. I had an uncle who knew every character actor there was. He gave me a great film education on who people were like Ward Bond and Thomas Mitchell and Walter Brennan. Even Lon Chaney, obviously, because I was always slanted toward horror films. Then I discovered Stephen King and realized that, wow, you can really scare people with the written word as well. ... Through grade school and then high school, any opportunity, whether it be to write a short story or to act on stage or even to make my own short films when I was in high school and college, I did.
Q: Do you have a theatrical background?
A: I did a lot of stage stuff when I was a kid, like a tour of Oliver. I was very fortunate that I got cast in a lot of stuff, and my career path seemed to be going down that way of being a professional actor — and I was for several years. I toured around the country and did several shows all over the place. What actually brought me to Orlando was a show at the old Mark Two Dinner Theater. I got contracted for a show here for, like, 12 weeks and afterward the contract was coming to an end and I said maybe I’ll give Orlando a year. ... I knew what Universal was, and I loved it. Luckily they had an audition shortly after that, and I got hired as a Ghostbuster, which was cool.
I worked here that first summer and also worked at a place called Terror on Church Street in downtown Orlando. Next thing I know they have this little thing called Halloween Horror Nights at Universal. I auditioned for that and was Norman Bates the very first year. ... The next year, just because of my passion, they said "You seem to really, really enjoy the subject matter and you know a lot about it. Would you be interested in helping out?" That kind of manifested itself over the years into where I am now.
Q: Didn’t you take a break from Universal for a while?
A: I left Universal in 2002 after Halloween at Islands of Adventure. I decided it was time for me to spread my wings. I did a lot of freelance stuff. I worked for Disney, and I worked for SeaWorld, Busch Gardens Tampa and Busch Gardens Williamsburg. I did stuff for Mirage Entertainment out west. I worked everywhere pretty much. ... I was always bringing my enthusiasm for Halloween and my enthusiasm for storytelling to these other properties.
I think it was 2005, I talked to [Universal senior vice president for entertainment] Jim Timon, and he said "You know, we’re looking for someone to head up Creative, and you know the park, you know the people, you know the property and you know the product." I was like, "Yeah, no one does it like Universal." We have the classic monsters, we have Jaws, we have all those great Universal movies that I grew up just loving — and I get to play with on a daily basis."
Q: Is Horror Nights a year-round process?
A: Oh, more than that. We’ve been working on 2010 since July [2009], so it’s starting to actually be more than a year-round process. There’s not a time where we’re not, in some capacity, working on Halloween Horror Nights.
Q: Is there a part of the creative process that you enjoy most?"
The most rewarding part for me is the first time you walk into the maze and it’s just starting construction and you’re like "Wow, we’re really doing this." There’s always still that kick of a little kid going "We’re really doing this." Opening night is always my favorite because you can walk through and people are screaming or people are laughing.
Q: And the the most daunting part?
You always find yourself, no matter what, there’s that moment of doubt. No matter how much research you’ve done or how much data you have saying the brand is popular, there’s always that moment before you walk in that you’re like "Is this going to work?" It’s just the pitfalls of humanity. You always doubt yourself no matter what.
For any show we do, for a month and a half when the production is in gear, you’re a rock star. You’re living that rock-star lifestyle. You’re up all night, you’re sleeping during the day, if you can get sleep. You’re drinking Red Bull. And then it closes. We call the first week of November a kind of mourning around here. For about a week, we don’t know what to do with ourselves. ... It’s a restless kind of energy. That’s getting less and less because we’re getting so much more busy, but there’s still at least a day or two of where we are in mourning.
With Halloween, you build these things and they’re there for a month, and then they’re gone forever. That’s cool and sad at the same time. So I’m always trying to take as many photos and go through as many times just to keep the memory of the experience.
Q: You have outside projects going?
A: When I’m not busy with Universal, I produce documentaries, just because I’m fascinated myself. I love hearing about how things were put together, the anecdotes and the process. The first one I did was based on Jaws. I produced a documentary called The Shark Is Still Working, which is a feature-length documentary on Jaws, which — knock on wood — we just got [Steven] Spielberg’s endorsement, and it looks like it’s now going to be on the Blu-Ray release of Jaws.
I started a new project called Monster Kids, which is an in-depth study of the lasting impact of horror films on generations. In the late ’50s, early ’60s when the monsters had a resurgence and then you had monsters on TV and Famous Monsters magazine. That continued into today and has created several generations of monster kids. .. .. .What is it about the fantastical that inspired so many people from Guillermo Del Toro to Frank Darabont to Spielberg to Stephen King? You hear the same stories over and over: "Well, I read Famous Monsters magazine, and I saw Dracula and Frankenstein on a little horror-host TV ... It’s the same story.
I thought this was something I’d love to capture, so I’ve been working on a project the side. So far, I’ve gotten the support of all the heirs. I’ve interviewed Sara Karloff, the Chaney family has become big fans and supporters of it, the [Bela] Lugosi family ... they’ve all helped. Guillermo Del Toro’s going to do an interview. Rick Baker’s going to be a part of it. All of the effects guys in L.A. I’ve worked with over the years have all done interviews for it. My goal is to be done with the production of that by the end of the year and to premiere next year at Monsterpalooza.
It’s interesting because I think there’s this attitude toward kids that enjoy the darker side of life, and I don’t mean that in a negative way. Now they’re branded as "goth." Now they completely transform themselves. Well, there’s nothing wrong with that. It’s kids that are more in tune with the fantastical side of things and love a good story — because ultimately all those things are is good stories. Monster stories are part of our DNA. Fear is part of our DNA. And I think kids that enjoy it, there’s nothing darker or ominous about them. They’re just more tuned into "OK, I accept. that." For those kids, maybe it’s a way to deal with life.
Q: You have a pre-taped cameo in the Bill & Ted show at this year’s Horror Nights. Are you incorporated every year?
A: Sometimes it’s by design, sometimes it’s strictly by accident because someone didn’t show up. Last year, I was the captain in the video of the Interstellar Terror [haunted house]. This year, the director of Bill & Ted asked me if I’d open the show as a newscaster. .. .. . It seems to be getting some fun play. Now I’ll walk through the park on a nightly basis and you’ll see people look at me and say "Oh, it’s the newscaster."
Q: You’re a Horror Nights character now!
A: Yeah, I’ve become a character. I’m OK with that as long as people are enjoying what I’m doing.
Q: Any clues about the 20th anniversary of Halloween Horror Nights in 2010?
A: It’s safe to say that our concept, if you’ve liked Halloween for the past 19 years, Halloween 20 will blow your mind.
a good friend of mine mr Roddy
Find your: Happy hour
Problem: A week's worth of stress and only a couple days worth of paycheck left. The solution: Happy hour, that magic time (typically) right after work and just before the crowds come out. Stoop to conquer your thirst with our sampling of notable specials. (Not that happy? Find your bliss at theguide.orlandosentinel.com)
ANTIGUA: 41 W. Church St., Orlando; 407-649-4270. 3-for-1 drinks from 4-7:30 p.m. Fridays.
BAR LOUIE: 7335 Sand Lake Road at The Rialto, Orlando; 407-248-0604. Half price appetizers, $3 drafts, $4 wines, $5 specialty martinis, margaritas and mojitos from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
BLUE MARTINI: 4200 Conroy Road at the Mall at Millenia, Orlando; 407-447-2583. $3 cocktails, $6 martinis and half price on all food from 4-8 p.m. daily.
BRIX EUROBISTRO: 50 E. Central Blvd., Orlando; 407-839-1707. 2-for-1 wells and calls, $1 off drafts, $5 wine buckets from 4:30-7:30 daily (with free fondue Friday).
CHILLER'S: 33 W. Church St., Orlando; 407-649-4270. 3-for-1 drinks from 10-11 p.m. Saturday.
THE CLUBHOUSE: 100 E. Pine St., Orlando; 407-447-5225. 2-for-1 drinks and $9.99 all-you-can-eat wings from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
COPPER ROCKET PUB: 106 Lake Ave., Maitland; 407-645-0069. $1.50 domestics, $3 imports from 5-6 p.m., 8-9 p.m and midnight-1 a.m. daily.
CRICKETER'S ARMS: 5250 N. International Drive, Orlando; 407-354-0686. 99-cent select drafts from 5-7 p.m. daily.
CROOKED BAYOU: 50 E. Central Blvd., Orlando; 407-839-5852. 2-for-1 drafts and wells from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
GREEN PARROT PUB: 280 State Road 436, Casselberry; 407-332-1599. $1.75 domestic drafts, $5.50 domestic pitchers, $2.25 select domestic bottles, $2.50 wells and 50-cent wings from 3-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
HAMBURGER MARY'S: 110 Church St., Orlando; 321-319-0600. Half price wells, domestic drafts and bottled beer from 3-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, $10 beer buckets from 3-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
HOUSE OF BEER: 13526 Village Park Drive #208-210, Orlando; 407-859-2337. $1 off drafts from 5-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
JAX FIFTH AVE. DELI & ALE: 951 Greenwood Blvd., Lake Mary; 407-323-3354. 50 cents off drafts, 25 cents off bottles, $1.75 domestic drafts and double wells same price as singles from 4-7 p.m. daily.
MATADOR: 56 E. Pine St., Orlando; 407-872-0844. Half price domestics, imports, wells, and vodka flavors from 5-8 p.m. Friday.
MCRANEY'S TAVERN: 1566 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park; 407-622-4474. $3.75 imports, $2 domestics from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
ONE EYED JACK'S: 19 N. Orange Ave., Orlando; 407-849-0471. $2.50 margaritas and Coronas, half-price appetizers from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
PEACOCK ROOM: 1321 N. Mills Ave., Orlando; 407-228-0048. $2.50 domestic bottles, $3 import bottles, $4 well liquors, $5 call liquors from 4:30-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
RED COCONUT CLUB: 6000 Universal Blvd. at Universal Citywalk, Orlando; 407-224-2425. Half price martinis and $5 mojitos 8-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 6-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
REDLIGHT REDLIGHT: 745 Bennett Road, Orlando; 407-893-9832. $1 off from 7-8 p.m. daily.
SAVOY: 1913 N. Orange Ave., Orlando; 407-898-6766. Half-price wells, calls, and premium cocktails and $1-$4 martinis from 5-9 p.m. daily.
SCRUFFY MURPHY'S: 2625 Edgewater Drive, Orlando; 407-835-7158. $1 off all liquor, wine and bottles from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
SPORTSTOWN BILLIARDS: 2414 E. Robinson St., Orlando; 407-894-6258. Half price pool and $1.75 domestics from noon-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, half price pool until 4 p.m. and $1.75 domestics from 4-7 p.m. Friday-Sunday.
STARDUST LOUNGE: 431 E. Central Blvd., Orlando; 407-839-0080. $2.50 domestics and wells, $3.50 calls until 8 p.m. daily.
URBAN FLATS: 3310 Daniels Road, Winter Garden; 407-656-3152. Half price wells and drafts from 4-7:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, all day Sunday.
WAITIKI: 26 Wall St., Orlando; 407-481-1199. $2.50 Red Stripe beer and Bacardi drinks, half off appetizers and Tiki drinks from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
WILL'S PUB: 1040 N. Mills Ave., Orlando; 407-898-5070. $1 off all beers from 7-11 p.m. Monday.
ANTIGUA: 41 W. Church St., Orlando; 407-649-4270. 3-for-1 drinks from 4-7:30 p.m. Fridays.
BAR LOUIE: 7335 Sand Lake Road at The Rialto, Orlando; 407-248-0604. Half price appetizers, $3 drafts, $4 wines, $5 specialty martinis, margaritas and mojitos from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
BLUE MARTINI: 4200 Conroy Road at the Mall at Millenia, Orlando; 407-447-2583. $3 cocktails, $6 martinis and half price on all food from 4-8 p.m. daily.
BRIX EUROBISTRO: 50 E. Central Blvd., Orlando; 407-839-1707. 2-for-1 wells and calls, $1 off drafts, $5 wine buckets from 4:30-7:30 daily (with free fondue Friday).
CHILLER'S: 33 W. Church St., Orlando; 407-649-4270. 3-for-1 drinks from 10-11 p.m. Saturday.
THE CLUBHOUSE: 100 E. Pine St., Orlando; 407-447-5225. 2-for-1 drinks and $9.99 all-you-can-eat wings from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
COPPER ROCKET PUB: 106 Lake Ave., Maitland; 407-645-0069. $1.50 domestics, $3 imports from 5-6 p.m., 8-9 p.m and midnight-1 a.m. daily.
CRICKETER'S ARMS: 5250 N. International Drive, Orlando; 407-354-0686. 99-cent select drafts from 5-7 p.m. daily.
CROOKED BAYOU: 50 E. Central Blvd., Orlando; 407-839-5852. 2-for-1 drafts and wells from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
GREEN PARROT PUB: 280 State Road 436, Casselberry; 407-332-1599. $1.75 domestic drafts, $5.50 domestic pitchers, $2.25 select domestic bottles, $2.50 wells and 50-cent wings from 3-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
HAMBURGER MARY'S: 110 Church St., Orlando; 321-319-0600. Half price wells, domestic drafts and bottled beer from 3-7 p.m. Monday-Friday, $10 beer buckets from 3-7 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
HOUSE OF BEER: 13526 Village Park Drive #208-210, Orlando; 407-859-2337. $1 off drafts from 5-8 p.m. Monday-Friday, noon-8 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.
JAX FIFTH AVE. DELI & ALE: 951 Greenwood Blvd., Lake Mary; 407-323-3354. 50 cents off drafts, 25 cents off bottles, $1.75 domestic drafts and double wells same price as singles from 4-7 p.m. daily.
MATADOR: 56 E. Pine St., Orlando; 407-872-0844. Half price domestics, imports, wells, and vodka flavors from 5-8 p.m. Friday.
MCRANEY'S TAVERN: 1566 W. Fairbanks Ave., Winter Park; 407-622-4474. $3.75 imports, $2 domestics from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
ONE EYED JACK'S: 19 N. Orange Ave., Orlando; 407-849-0471. $2.50 margaritas and Coronas, half-price appetizers from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
PEACOCK ROOM: 1321 N. Mills Ave., Orlando; 407-228-0048. $2.50 domestic bottles, $3 import bottles, $4 well liquors, $5 call liquors from 4:30-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
RED COCONUT CLUB: 6000 Universal Blvd. at Universal Citywalk, Orlando; 407-224-2425. Half price martinis and $5 mojitos 8-10 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 6-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday.
REDLIGHT REDLIGHT: 745 Bennett Road, Orlando; 407-893-9832. $1 off from 7-8 p.m. daily.
SAVOY: 1913 N. Orange Ave., Orlando; 407-898-6766. Half-price wells, calls, and premium cocktails and $1-$4 martinis from 5-9 p.m. daily.
SCRUFFY MURPHY'S: 2625 Edgewater Drive, Orlando; 407-835-7158. $1 off all liquor, wine and bottles from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
SPORTSTOWN BILLIARDS: 2414 E. Robinson St., Orlando; 407-894-6258. Half price pool and $1.75 domestics from noon-7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, half price pool until 4 p.m. and $1.75 domestics from 4-7 p.m. Friday-Sunday.
STARDUST LOUNGE: 431 E. Central Blvd., Orlando; 407-839-0080. $2.50 domestics and wells, $3.50 calls until 8 p.m. daily.
URBAN FLATS: 3310 Daniels Road, Winter Garden; 407-656-3152. Half price wells and drafts from 4-7:30 p.m. Monday-Saturday, all day Sunday.
WAITIKI: 26 Wall St., Orlando; 407-481-1199. $2.50 Red Stripe beer and Bacardi drinks, half off appetizers and Tiki drinks from 4-7 p.m. Monday-Friday.
WILL'S PUB: 1040 N. Mills Ave., Orlando; 407-898-5070. $1 off all beers from 7-11 p.m. Monday.
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Universal Orlando's 'Horror Nights' win a pair of industry awards
For the second year in a row, Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights has won a pair of industry awards.
Last week, the popular fight fest at Universal Studios Florida was named "Best Halloween Event" by Amusement Today, an industry magazine. The award was based on a fan vote, which Universal said it won by an even greater margin this year.
And yesterday, Horror Nights was named the top "Theme Park Halloween Haunted Event" by Hauntworld.com, a Halloween attraction and haunted house directory.
“Each year, we work hard to create a scary, entertaining and memorable event,” Jim Timon, senior vice president of entertainment for Universal Orlando, said in a prepared statement. “For the past 19 years, we’ve created the ultimate Halloween experience – Halloween Horror Nights – and we look forward to continuing that tradition for years to come.”
Last week, the popular fight fest at Universal Studios Florida was named "Best Halloween Event" by Amusement Today, an industry magazine. The award was based on a fan vote, which Universal said it won by an even greater margin this year.
And yesterday, Horror Nights was named the top "Theme Park Halloween Haunted Event" by Hauntworld.com, a Halloween attraction and haunted house directory.
“Each year, we work hard to create a scary, entertaining and memorable event,” Jim Timon, senior vice president of entertainment for Universal Orlando, said in a prepared statement. “For the past 19 years, we’ve created the ultimate Halloween experience – Halloween Horror Nights – and we look forward to continuing that tradition for years to come.”
Price to park at Disney World is going up
Walt Disney World is planning to raise parking prices this weekend.
Beginning Sunday, the cost to park at one of the resort's theme parks will rise from $12 to $14. That's a roughly 17 percent increase.
Beginning Sunday, the cost to park at one of the resort's theme parks will rise from $12 to $14. That's a roughly 17 percent increase.
Report says a $3 billion deal for Busch theme parks is close
After months of talks, The Blackstone Group is close to finalizing a deal to buy SeaWorld Orlando-owner Busch Entertainment Corp.
The Wall Street Journal, citing unidentified sources, reported Friday afternoon that Blackstone is nearing a deal to buy the theme-park chain from Anheuser-Busch InBev for between $2.5 billion and $3 billion. A deal could be announced as early as next week but could still fall apart, the Journal reported.
Representatives for Blackstone, AB InBev and Busch Entertainment all declined to comment.
People familiar with the talks say Blackstone has been negotiating with AB InBev for months. There has been speculation that the private-equity firm would like to package Busch Entertainment in an initial public offering of its Merlin Entertainments Group, a London-based amusement-park operator whose holdings include Madame Tussauds wax museums and Legoland theme parks.
Blackstone also owns a 50 percent stake in Universal Orlando.
The Wall Street Journal, citing unidentified sources, reported Friday afternoon that Blackstone is nearing a deal to buy the theme-park chain from Anheuser-Busch InBev for between $2.5 billion and $3 billion. A deal could be announced as early as next week but could still fall apart, the Journal reported.
Representatives for Blackstone, AB InBev and Busch Entertainment all declined to comment.
People familiar with the talks say Blackstone has been negotiating with AB InBev for months. There has been speculation that the private-equity firm would like to package Busch Entertainment in an initial public offering of its Merlin Entertainments Group, a London-based amusement-park operator whose holdings include Madame Tussauds wax museums and Legoland theme parks.
Blackstone also owns a 50 percent stake in Universal Orlando.
Sale of SeaWorld Orlando-owner expected as early as tomorrow
The Blackstone Group's long-rumored deal to buy SeaWorld Orlando-owner Busch Entertainment Corp. from Anheuser-Busch InBev is expected to be announced as early as tomorrow, according to multiple people familiar with the talks.
The price tag is thought to be between $2.5 billion and $3 billion, these people said. It is possible, though unlikely, that the deal could still fall apart.
The deal would make Blackstone an even bigger player in the global tourism industry. The private-equity giant already owns a 50 percent stake in Universal Orlando and a controlling stake in Merlin Entertainments Group, the British amusement operator whose holdings include Legoland theme parks and Madame Tussauds wax museums.
Busch is the second-largest theme-park operator in the United States, with 10 theme parks around the country, including SeaWorld, Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The Walt Disney Co. is the largest.
Blackstone is expected to operate Busch as a standalone investment, rather than combine it with another holding, at least in the near future.
The price tag is thought to be between $2.5 billion and $3 billion, these people said. It is possible, though unlikely, that the deal could still fall apart.
The deal would make Blackstone an even bigger player in the global tourism industry. The private-equity giant already owns a 50 percent stake in Universal Orlando and a controlling stake in Merlin Entertainments Group, the British amusement operator whose holdings include Legoland theme parks and Madame Tussauds wax museums.
Busch is the second-largest theme-park operator in the United States, with 10 theme parks around the country, including SeaWorld, Discovery Cove and Aquatica in Orlando and Busch Gardens Tampa Bay. The Walt Disney Co. is the largest.
Blackstone is expected to operate Busch as a standalone investment, rather than combine it with another holding, at least in the near future.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
