Universal Orlando allows first group of regular day guests inside Wizarding World of Harry Potter soft opening

Today Universal Orlando began allowing a limited number of regular day guests into the new Wizarding World of Harry Potter section of the Islands of Adventure theme park. On-site Universal hotel guests were allowed in first, beginning at 8 a.m., as they have been since Friday, May 28. But at around 9 a.m., it was decided to begin to allow a certain number of other guests into the Wizarding World.

For the past few days, the scheduled hours for each morning’s previews have been 8 a.m. – 10 a.m., though once inside, guests are gently urged out of the area by noon. But today was the first time that park guests who are not staying at a Universal Orlando on-site hotel have been allowed in during a window of roughly 9 a.m. – 10 a.m. I was told by a Universal team member that a limited number of guests were being let in and that number is based on how many hotel guests were let in during the early entry period from 8 a.m. – 9 a.m.

There are is guarantee that these “soft openings” will continue in the coming days. Whether more day guests will be allowed into the Wizarding World seems to, at least for now, hinge upon the number of on-site hotel guests that take advantage of the early morning previews. So while it is possible that arriving at Islands of Adventure first thing in the morning could gain you access to Hogsmeade Village, it is also just as possible that guests will continue to patiently wait outside the Wizarding World’s gates

rlando's theme park ecosystem is changing.

Like organisms that once fed off of one another in a relationship that was more symbiotic than competitive, Walt Disney World, Universal Orlando and SeaWorld Orlando are now hunting on a recession-altered landscape with less food to go around.

It used to be that marketing by any of the Big Three was good for all of them. Moms and dads lured in by a promotion to one resort were practically guaranteed to take the family to at least one of the other two during their stay.

Last year, though, in a theme-park match of survival of the fittest, that dynamic changed and Disney further cemented its place as the Big One and stopped feeding scraps to the others.

A report on estimated theme-park attendance released this week shows that Disney grew its market share in Orlando with flat to 1 percent gains at its four parks in 2009 while the crowds plummeted 10 percent at Universal Studios and 11 percent at sister park Islands of Adventure while SeaWorld fell 7 percent.

The recession helped along Disney's plan to keep more vacationers on its property and ensure they spend all of their money there rather than give cuts to Spider-Man and Shamu.

The Disney marketing machine drummed heavy discounts such as buy four hotel nights get three free, Magic Your Way ticket packages and the clincher — a shuttle system for guests and their luggage to and from the airport that means fewer people rent cars and easily come and go from the resort.

The appeal of all of those deals soared as the economy faltered. And the good-for-one-good-for-all mantra was bibbidi-bobbitied into boo for everyone but Disney.

The deep discounts kept Disney from losing attendance at the expense of Universal and SeaWorld. And it's clear from the numbers that the dips were brandwide and not just pinned to the resorts' big draws, because the same trend played out among the water parks as well. Disney water parks were flat while SeaWorld's Aquatica was down 7 percent and Universal's Wet n' Wild was down 5 percent.

But will Disney manage to keep its edge — and for how long?

Good answer: Guests and non-guests can see Family Feud at Universal

UPDATE: Here’s the Sentinel’s Family Feud trivia quiz.

As our TV Guy Hal Boedeker reported, Family Feud is moving its production to Universal Orlando. Episodes with new host Steve Harvey will be taped on a Universal Studios theme park soundstage beginning July 10.

You don’t have to be a theme-park guest to watch the taping, but you might exercise caution before striking out for an afternoon of game show watching.

First of all, tape times will vary. Universal suggests calling 407-224-6000 for the latest info. And the tapings won’t happen every day. Universal has 22 taping dates posted between July and September.

Theme park guests will follow signs within the park to the tapings or visit the Studio Audience Center for information.

But non-guests can go too. Park in the Universal mega-garage (bet on them charging you there). Go through Universal CityWalk and walk toward the Sharp Aquos Theater (home of Blue Man Group). Bear right at the theater (you’ll be in the shadow of Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit ) and follow the Family Feud signs.

More cautionary tales: Seating is first-come, first-served, and it’s recommended you arrive an hour early. This is posted at the Universal/Feud site, along with info about auditioning.

Family Feud finds a home at Universal Orlando

The phrase "survey says" will become a familiar feature at Universal Orlando when Family Feud moves its production to Orlando this summer.

Executive producer Kevin Williams cited several reasons for moving the game show from Los Angeles, but the chief one is that entertainer Steve Harvey is becoming host.

"Everything is being geared around him," Williams said in an interview last week. "He's based in Atlanta. It's a 45-minute flight for him to Orlando."

But Family Feud sees potential in the Orlando market.

"If you're not shooting in Los Angeles, Orlando studios are a good alternative," Williams said. "Universal is so well set up with marketing. And the audience comes from all over the country and the world. That suits our brand."

FremantleMedia, which produces Family Feud and American Idol, knows Orlando has a lot to offer from the American Idol Experience at Walt Disney World, Williams added.

The game show will tape 165 episodes from July through September on Sound Stage 19 at Universal Orlando Resort. Episodes will be staged Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays to accommodate Harvey, who hosts a radio show from Atlanta. Family Feud will produce four to eight episodes a day.

Family Feud is one of the most familiar game shows since Richard Dawson hosted it in the 1970s. This version of the show has been running 11 years in syndication. Current host John O'Hurley followed Richard Karn and Louie Anderson in the job. The show airs at 10 a.m. weekdays on WFTV-Channel 9.

Universal Orlando will play up Family Feud in promotions to bring more guests to the resort, said Pamela Tuscany, vice president of production.

"We did a dynamic change last year. We looked for audience-based television opportunities for guests to see live television," Tuscany said. "It's a strategy. We've been working with Fremantle."

America's Got Talent, another Fremantle show, recently taped at Universal.

In Los Angeles, Family Feud has to bring the audiences in. At Universal, Williams expects a different dynamic: an energized audience looking for something similar to getting on a ride. But you won't have to be a theme-park guest to see a taping.

"We have to construct an experience," Williams said. "We want Steve to connect with families and get his comedy out."

Harvey will receive a lot of support as Fremantle stages the show. "Bottom line: We hire a lot of people," Williams said. "We fly in a core group who knows how to make the show. But we're leaning heavily on the Orlando infrastructure and production community. There's a lot of qualified people down there. America's Got Talent went well for us."

Williams didn't give a number, but Tuscany estimated that Fremantle will probably hire 50 to 70 people.

Several times a week, Family Feud will carry a plug for Orlando. Providing $150,000 in all to help the game show relocate were the city of Orlando, the Downtown Community Redevelopment Agency and the Orlando/Orange County Convention & Visitors Bureau.

"We thought that was important because of the jobs it [Family Feud] would create, the economic impact it would generate and the promotion of downtown Orlando on a national stage," said Orlando spokeswoman Heather Allebaugh.

How To Book a Luxury Cruise at a Huge Discount

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Way back in 1984, Vacations To Go realized that cruise companies had a dilemma. Their profits relied on selling most of their cabins well in advance at full price. They couldn't offer steep discounts on unsold cabins because people would just wait until the last minute and then all cabins would be sold at a discount. Vacations To Go approached the cruise lines with a way for them to sell their unsold cabins at a deep discount without affecting their full price market.

How did they do it?

Simply put, the cruise lines allow Vacations To Go to re-market their unsold cabins to their exclusive and highly confidential client list at huge discounts from the regular price.

Vacations To Go has now provided more than a million of their "members" with dream vacations at a fraction of the regular price, often as much as 75% off. It has also achieved the highest level of recognition possible for exceptional sales and superior service from every major cruise line in the world.

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That's the easy part - all you have to do is register on their web site. That's how you become a "member" and Vacations To Go is then authorized by the cruise lines to offer you these amazing deals.

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The "90-Day Ticker" is a complete listing of last-minute cruise deals on the world's best cruise lines, showing information on destination stops, port city, ship type and much more. Customers frequently save more than half what they would normally pay, often up to an amazing 75 percent off.

And it's not just last minute deals that can have huge savings. The "Find A Bargain" feature shows special early bird discounts, two-for-one deals and promotions for seniors, military personnel and others that they've negotiated with top cruise lines.

Vacations To Go offers one of the widest selections of cruises. If you know exactly what you want, or if you are new to cruising and are looking for help in selecting the cruise best suited to your individual needs, www.vacationstogo.com is the place to start your cruise adventure.

Whale kills trainer at Florida's SeaWorld

UPDATE 1-Whale kills trainer at Florida's SeaWorld
Wed Feb 24, 2010 5:46pm EST
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By Jane Sutton

MIAMI, Feb 24 (Reuters) - A killer whale at the SeaWorld amusement park in central Florida killed a trainer on Wednesday, a sheriff's spokesman said.

"She apparently slipped and fell into the tank and was fatally injured by one of the whales," Orange County Sheriff's spokesman Jim Solomons said.

The 40-year-old trainer was dead when rescue officials arrived, he said.

Media reports said the orca at the park's Shamu Stadium grabbed the woman by the waist, thrashed her about and dragged her underwater.

The trainer was killed in the whale holding area just before the start of a public performance and the stadium was immediately evacuated.

Dan Brown, president of SeaWorld Orlando, said the victim was one of the park's most experienced animal trainers.

There were conflicting reports about how the incident occurred. The Orlando Sentinel quoted a spectator as saying the whale came up from the water and grabbed the trainer by her waist. The sheriff's official said preliminary accounts indicated she slipped and fell in, but that was still under investigation.

The Florida park is owned by the Blackstone Group (BX.N), a private equity company that also owns part of the Universal Orlando theme park.

A spokesman for SeaWorld in San Diego, California, said killer whale shows have been suspended following the death in Orlando.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the orca involved in Wednesday's incident, named Tillikum but popularly known as "Tilly," has a controversial past.

The whale was blamed for the drowning of one of his trainers in 1991 while he was performing at Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia, the newspaper said.

Sold to SeaWorld as a stud in 1992, the whale was involved in a second incident when authorities discovered the body of a naked man lying across his back in July 1999.

Authorities said the man, who had either snuck into SeaWorld after hours or hidden in the park until it closed, most likely drowned after suffering hypothermia in the 55-degree (12.7 C) water.

A former contractor with SeaWorld told the Sentinel that Tillikum is typically kept isolated from SeaWorld's other killer whales and that trainers were not allowed to get in the water with him because of his history. (Editing by Tom Brown and Sandra Maler)

The Story of the Haunted Mansion - The Show - with Patrick Episode 6

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