Filed under: Westgate, Westgate Resorts, Westgate River Ranch | Tags: Central Florida, Dude Ranch, Encounter Central Florida's Polk, Florida Dude Ranch, Polk County, Westgate River Ranch
Filed under: orlando, Orlando concerts, Orlando Events, Orlando Live Entertainment | Tags: Central Florida, Downtown Orlando, orlando, Orlando concerts, Orlando Events, Orlando Festivals, Orlando Food & Wine Fest, Veteran's Parade
The Veteran’s Parade will take place in downtown Orlando on Saturday, November 13, 2010, at 11:30 AM. The parade will start at the corner of Orange Avenue and Livingston Street. Highlights will include street performers, marching bands, floats and live music. Downtown Orlando also will host the Orlando Food & Wine Fest November 13-14, 2010, on Robinson Street. The festival will feature cuisine from 36 Central Florida restaurants and more than 50 domestic and international wines. Advance purchase passes are available for $15 for the weekend and $10 for a single day (children ages 12 and under are admitted free). Tickets also may be purchased at the gate for $15. Food and beverage tickets range from $2-$6 and can be purchased at the festival. For more information, visit www.downtownorlando.com.
Filed under: Disney World Trivia, Florida Trivia, travel | Tags: Central Florida, Disney World, Florida Attractions, Florida Cities, Florida Trivia, Florida Trivia Quiz, South Florida, theme parks, Trivia
Which Florida island was named for the daughter of King George II?
Which famous American writer spent the winter of 1827 in St. Augustine recovering from tuberculosis?
Which famous rock singer and poet was born in Melbourne on December 8, 1943?
Which actress won the Miss Florida title for 1974?
“Doc Hollywood” was filmed in which small North Central Florida town?
Which Florida state park boasts a 120-foot-deep sinkhole that is accessible from a stairway leading to a “miniature rain forest”?
Which national park lies nearly 70 miles West of Key West and is accessible only by seaplane or boat?
Which Central Florida museum boasts the world’s most comprehensive collection of works by Louis Comfort Tiffany?
What is the nickname of Stetson University?
Which Florida state park is home to one of the largest and deepest freshwater springs in the world?
Which U.S. President dedicated Bok Tower Gardens on February 1, 1929?
Mel Fisher was an American treasure hunter best known for finding which 1622 shipwreck?
Which Florida college is home to the largest single-site collection of the architecture of Frank Lloyd Wright?
Which is the only Florida state park to offer cave tours to the public?
On which Florida Key can you find Flipper’s grave?
Which South Florida attraction has been referred to as “America’s Stonehenge”?
What is the second-largest lake in Florida?
Which Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist once lived and worked in the tiny community of Cross Creek?
Which Florida Key is home to Perky’s Bat Tower?
What city in Florida boasts the “World’s Smallest Police Station”?
Which historic neighborhood in Tampa was once known as the “Cigar Capital of the World”?
Which Historic Spiritualist Camp founded in 1894 is the oldest active religious community in the Southeastern United States?
The original boat used in the classic 1951 movie, “The African Queen,” is docked on which of the Florida Keys?
Famous for its glass bottom boat tours, which attraction is known as “Florida’s Original Theme Park”?
What is the former name of the Astro Orbiter ride in Tomorrowland at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park?
What International Drive landmark is known as “Orlando’s only upside-down attraction”?
Which attraction at Disney’s Magic Kingdom Park boasts the world’s largest seamless projection screen?
Scenes from which 1998 Adam Sandler movie were filmed at the Citrus Bowl in downtown Orlando?
For answers to the Florida Trivia Quiz, visit http://www.orlando-florida.net/florida-vacations/florida-trivia.html
Filed under: disney, orlando, orlando vacation, travel, Vacations | Tags: Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake, Central Florida, Disney Wilderness Preserve, Florida, Lake Eola Park, Lake Russell, orlando, Orlando Parks, Orlando Preserves, Tibet-Butler Preserve, Wekiwa Springs State Park
A popular destination in the heart of downtown Orlando, Lake Eola Park offers swan-shaped paddle boat rentals, walking/jogging path, picnic tables, amphitheater and a playground. Another local favorite, the 300-acre Bill Frederick Park at Turkey Lake, features boat rentals, nature trails, an outdoor pool, picnic areas and barbecue facilities. Nestled at the headwaters of the Wekiva River, Wekiwa Springs State Park provides a cool spring for swimming, boat rentals, hiking trails and picnic areas. Managed by The Nature Conservancy, the 12,000-acre Disney Wilderness Preserve borders scenic Lake Russell and provides a great locale for wildlife viewing, along with a one-mile hiking trail to the lake. The preserve, which protects the headwaters of the Everglades ecosystem, provides a home to bald eagles, sandhill cranes, gopher tortoises, Florida scrub-jays other other wildlife. Nature buffs will also love the Tibet-Butler Preserve, which offers miles of hiking trails and the Vera Carter Environmental Center.
Filed under: LEGOLAND, orlando, orlando vacation, theme parks, travel, Vacations | Tags: Central Florida, LEGOLAND, LEGOLAND Florida, LEGOLAND Video, theme parks
Filed under: cypress gardens, LEGOLAND, orlando, orlando vacation, Other destinations, theme parks, travel, Vacations | Tags: Central Florida, cypress gardens, Florida, LEGOLAND, Theme Park, Winter Haven
“News was leaked Wednesday afternoon that the former home of Cypress Gardens Adventure Park in Winter Haven, Florida, has been purchased and will soon undergo restructuring to become the second LEGOLAND in the United States and just the fifth in the world . . .”
Read more: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2010/01/new-legoland-coming-to-central-florida
Filed under: disney, Disney World, hotels, orlando, travel, Westgate Resorts | Tags: Arnold Palmer Invitational, Bay Hill Golf Club, Celebration Golf Club, Central Florida, ChampionsGate Golf Resort, Children's Miracle Network Classic, David Leadbetter Golf Academy, Disney World, Eagle Creek Golf Club, Eagle Pines, Golden Bear Golf Club at Keene's Pointe, Golf Digest, Grand Cypress Academy of Golf, Grand Cypress Golf Club, Howard Swan, Lake Buena Vista, Magnolia Course, MetroWest Golf Club, orlando, Osprey Ridge, Palm Course, Pete Dye, Phil Mickelson, Robert Trent Jones, Ron Garl, Shingle Creek Golf Club, Tiger Woods, Tom Fazio, Vijay Singh, Westgate Blue Tree Resort, Westgate Lakes, Westgate Leisure Resort, Westgate Palace, Westgate Resorts, Westgate Towers, Westgate Town Center, Westgate Vacation Villas
With dozens of championship golf courses, Central Florida has evolved into a true golfer’s paradise. Whether you are a beginner who wants to take lessons at one of the area’s renowned golf academies or a more experienced golfer who seeks new challenges, you will find a golf course in the Orlando area to meet your specific needs.
Walt Disney World Resort itself boasts five championship golf courses: Osprey Ridge, Palm, Magnolia, Eagle Pines and Lake Buena Vista. Designed by legendary architect Tom Fazio, Osprey Ridge is arguably the most difficult course at Disney World. The Palm course has been rated 4 stars by Golf Digest. The Magnolia course is known for the abundance of beautiful Magnolias that line the fairways. Eagle Pines is a par-72, 18-hole course designed by Pete Dye. Opened in 1971, the par-72 Lake Buena Vista course features 6,819 yards of golf. Disney World also offers the nine-hole, par-36 Oak Trail golf course.
Plenty of championship-caliber golf courses lie just minutes from Walt Disney World Resort. For instance, the award-winning MetroWest Golf Club was designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr. and offers a wide range of challenges, including numerous bunkers and plentiful water hazards, as well as expansive fairways. Celebration Golf Club, which lies just 5 minutes from Disney World, was also designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., along with his son Robert Trent Jones Jr. ChampionsGate Golf Resort boasts 36 holes of championship golf and is also home to the world-renowned David Leadbetter Golf Academy. Designed by Ron Garl and Howard Swan, the par-73 Eagle Creek Golf Club boasts five par 5 holes. The Shingle Creek Golf Club has already received the “Greens of Distinction” award from Corporate & Incentive Travel magazine.
Two area courses, Grand Cypress Golf Club and The Golden Bear Club at Keene’s Pointe, were both designed by “The Golden Bear” himself, Jack Nicklaus. The award-winning Grand Cypress Golf Club features three nine-hole courses, as well as the 18-hole New Course. It is also home to the Grand Cypress Academy of Golf. Amenities at the Golden Bear Club at Keene’s Pointe include a 24,000-square-foot clubhouse, full-service restaurant, fully stocked pro shop and driving range.
Orlando also hosts several golf tournaments on the PGA tour such as the Arnold Palmer Invitational (formerly known as the Bay Hill Invitational) at Bay Hill Golf Club March 23-29, 2009, and the Children’s Miracle Network Classic at Walt Disney World Resort’s Palm & Magnolia Courses November 2-8, 2009. Both of these immensely popular tournaments draw some of the top professional golfers in the world such as Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson.
The presence of championship golf courses, along with world-class theme parks, makes Orlando, Florida, the ideal destination for family vacations. For great deals on spacious villa rentals that offer easy access to Central Florida’s championship golf courses, consider Westgate Resorts properties such as Westgate Blue Tree Resort, Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa, Westgate Leisure Resort, Westgate Palace, Westgate Towers, Westgate Town Center and Westgate Vacation Villas. For more information about the latest deals at Westgate Resorts, visit www.orlando-florida.net/hotels.
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