Happy Birthday, Manta!

Last week, Sea World Orlando celebrated a very special birthday. Manta, their amazing head-first, face-down flying coaster, turned one year old. That's right -- one whole year of thrilling high-speed rides and up close animal encounters! To celebrate the occasion, the coaster's lead designer, Brian Morrow, shared some behind the scenes facts about the awesome attraction. Check it out below.



Is Manta Orlando's best coaster? Let me know what you think beats it, in the comments.

SeaWorld Orlando continues its Animal Conservation Efforts

Sea World Orlando is known for more than just shows, when it comes to animal welfare and conservation efforts. Recently, they had two fantastic landmark events occur. April 2010 saw the hatching of Tawny Frogmouth chicks -- six in total have hatched this year and all the babies are thriving. Tawny frogmouths had been nearing extinction, even in carefully-monitored zoo environments. Breeding programs were not as successful as had originally been hoped. Sea World decided to work with the Association of Zoos and Aquariums in order to create a program to sustain populations and encourage breeding. The program has been a success - in the past decade, Sea World has welcomed 24 chicks. The babies were initially hand-fed by trained aviculturists in order to make sure nothing went wrong but thanks to the program and the efforts of researchers, the newest chick was able to be raised by its parents -- check out the pic!



Sea World conservation efforts happen in the water, too. This past May, they rescued their 303rd sea turtle, a massive 270-lb male loggerhead. The turtle had been seen floating on his side for several days before Sea World aquarists got him to the rehabilitation center. He was emaciated and covered in barnacles; it has been assumed that his condition was caused by ingesting a foreign object. The big male was cleaned, treated with antibiotics, and checked with x-rays in case of internal injury. The Rehab Center is happy to report he eventually started eating on his own. They hope to release him back into the waters of the San Carlos Bay near Ft. Myers, FL, soon.

Great New Eats coming to Walt Disney World Resort

Some of my favorite Orlando experiences revolve around food and the Walt Disney World Resort has more than a few entries on my list. From the posh perfection of Victoria and Albert's to the fixin's bar at the old Pecos Bill's. If you're anything like me, you love Disney for their many dining experiences as much as you do for their rides and shows. So good news! Four cool new dining treats are coming to the Mouse House.

First is Raglan Road, the awesome Irish Pub at Downtown Disney. During the World Cup, Raglan Road will be opening at 10am every day so you can watch the game. While you're watching, you can enjoy a real, full Irish Breakfast - known most often as simply a "full Irish. This is a delicious, carb- and fat-laden heart attack on a plate, and it is worth every calorie (as long as you're not indulging every day!). Two fresh eggs, bangers (Irish sausages), black pudding, grilled tomato, sauteed mushrooms, and rashers of thick, meaty bacon. It's $12 and more than enough to share, so watch the football and dig in.

If the Irish pub is not your thing, but you're still looking to nosh while you watch the soccer action, the ESPN Club serve food from 10:30 a.m. for early games June 11-29 and July 2-3, while the ESPN Wide World of Sports Grill will start serving limited breakfast menu at 7am for the REALLY early games. From June 26-July 10, they'll offer a buffet with guaranteed seats to see the games, ending with a special viewing area and full menu on July 11. Call 407-WDW-DINE for more info and reservations. World Cup is a HUGE event, so reservations are always a good idea.

Sweet tooth? Get ready for September, when EPCOT's Germany pavilion will open up its newest shoppe, Karamelle -Kuche. That means Caramel Kitchen and it will be the one-stop sticky shop of your candy-coated dreams. You can indulge in fresh caramel popcorn, caramel apples, caramel-covered strawberries and marshmallows, real Werther's Original Caramels (created by German candy-maker Storck), plus the kind of gourmet caramels, cookies, brownies, fudge and cupcakes you expect from the amazing EPCOT kitchens. Rumor is there will also be special Storck goodies you can't find anywhere else, so if you're a caramel fan, this will be the place for you.

Artist Point at the Disney Wilderness Lodge is one of the best restaurants on property and now it's gotten just a little better. Artist Point has premiered a new, beautiful wooden cordial cart for after-dinner drinks -- they are the only Disney restaurant to offer this rolling luxury. Indulge in a selection of fine brandies, cognacs and cordials, including the top-top-TOP end treat, Louis XIII de Remy Martin. This limited edition cognac routinely fetches thousands of dollar per bottle (only 789 ever made), so if you're willing and able, this is as splashy an after-dinner drink as you can get. If you try it, come back to the blog and tell us what you think!

The Orlando You Don't Know: Art in Orlando

I suppose we could all make an argument for the artistic side of the theme parks, and anyone who has ever spent time looking at high-end collectibles and sericels knows the art value that comes from entertainment and cartoons. But Orlando has a significant Arts scene as well, beyond the confines of International Drive and the gates of the parks.

The first and most obvious place to take a break from the noise and get a little culture (and perhaps some extra credit for the kids) is the Orlando Museum of Art (OMA). Admission ($8 for adults and $5 for kids) is a lot easier on the wallet than one of the parks, or even a trip to the movies. While a trip to the art museum may not be as hair-raising as a roller coaster, it is definitely a different experience that will keep the family talking and maybe even debating the meaning of art.

OMA has an excellent permanent collection of American artists, some well known, and others who should be. The collection ranges from the 18 century to the present and includes some very interesting Modern and Post-Modern works, as well and photography and sculpture. Also as a part of the permanent collection of the OMA are galleries dedicated to both the Ancient Americas and Africa, including fascinating textile work from Africa. The OMA web site lists the traveling exhibits, so you can see what will be available for your trip.
http://www.omart.org/

If your love of art tends to be more toward the modern side of the scale, contemporary art gallery Comma offers a smaller and more intimate setting. Their collection includes works in ceramic and glass as well as painting photography and mixed media. If you’d like to rub elbows with other art lovers, the gallery hosts receptions on the second Tuesday of the month.
http://www.commagallery.com/

If you like your art on the go, or want a bit of caffeine while you soak in the local color of art, there’s Roho Art and Coffee. It features the works of up and coming local Hispanic artists in a coffeehouse setting, which I feel can make a work a bit more approachable (no pun intended). If you want to sit and appreciate the art a little longer, they offer a full menu with an emphasis on Cuban cuisine.
http://rohoartandcoffee.com/

If you’d like a gallery with a focus on Florida artists, there’s the lovely Gallery at Avalon Island. Like the Comma, it’s a very intimate space. Since the Gallery features different monthly exhibits, it’s a new experience every time you visit. The café next door is a perfect spot to stop and rest, discussing the art and the architecture of the historic district.
http://www.galleryatavalonisland.com/index.html

Art isn’t always about painting and photography. If, like me, you love to watch the shows at the parks, there is the Orlando Shakespeare Theater. During the regular season which runs from September through April, they have staged some of the Bard’s greatest works as well as the plays of other famous playwrights. They offer a more family friendly fare during the summer months, the holidays and spring break, and what better way to introduce kids to a real theater-going experience? The Orlando Shakespeare Theater also has a really cool program called “$20 Under 30”. They offer discounted tickets and happy hour to 20-somethings before certain shows. It’s a different and interesting way to meet other young people in Orlando.
http://www.orlandoshakes.org/

Watching a show is a lot of fun, but sometimes I want to really be a part of it! I have had a great time participating in murder mystery dinners at Sleuths. Not for wall flowers and shy violets, the actors mix and mingle with the guests, and you have just as important a role in solving the crime as the actors do laying out the scene. There is the added benefit of the improv styling, which keeps the shows fresh and the outcomes unexpected. While I can say I have always guessed whodunit, I have always had a lot of fun trying to figure it out. It may not be high art, but it certainly makes for an interesting evening and a great memory of a visit to Orlando (that isn’t necessarily theme park related!)
http://www.sleuths.com/