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The Orlando based vegan quick-service joint, Dharma Southern Kitchen, is planning a big expansion, which will start right here in central Florida. Owner and Chef Shaun Noonan shared that he and his team are in the leasing phase of bringing Dharma to Oviedo, Tampa and St. Pete, with a projected opening towards the end of the year if all goes smoothly in their development. Dharma announced that the company aims to rapidly expand across Florida throughout 2022 before entering the Southeast United States. By 2023, the company’s team intends to launch locations nationwide, bringing easy and affordable plant-based Southern cuisine to people everywhere. Alongside the announcement, the company launched a new investment fund campaign that invites customers and interested parties to invest in the company’s future direction. The company claims that it plans to open a franchise or storefront in every major US city within the next eight years. “We stand out in the market because of our commitment to giving communities space to sit down and enjoy our delicious, affordable cookin’ together,” the chain stated. “Everything that comes out of our scratch kitchen is made with love, servin’ up food like your mama used to make it. We use sustainable packaging and practices in our restaurants, and we provide genuine guest service served up with classic southern hospitality.” Founded by chef Shaun Noonan, the restaurant brand is hosting its crowdfunded investment campaign via StartEngine. The page allows anyone with $190 to join the Dharm team as an investor. Noonan believes that his plant-based concept is ready for nationwide expansion. With 25 years of experience, Noonan hopes that Dharma can bring delicious plant-based foods to millions more Americans. Noonan’s vegan ventures started small with The Vegan Hot Dog Cart. The chef opened his first brick-and-mortar Dharma location in 2015. Since, the restaurant has expanded to four locations in Tampa, Sanford, and Orlando. “The hot dog cart was my first entrepreneurial venture out on my own, it is proof that I could build something from scratch and make it wildly successful,” Noonan told VegWorld. “As Dharma brick and mortar locations continue to grow, I will always keep the truck. People love it and I’m all about making people happy with comfort food.” Dharma specializes in what it calls “fine vittles” that are fully inspired by classic Southern cooking. The vegan establishment claims that its menu will be distinguished from other plant-based chains because its menu features “down-home” comfort food that is otherwise difficult to find. Customers nationwide will be able to get a taste of delicious comfort food without any animal-based ingredients. Some key menu items include the Nashville Hawt spicy fried chik’n sandwich and the Florida Fried Green Tomatoes. Dharma also boasts fair prices starting at $16 for meals and $3.50 for side dishes. Dharma specializes in what it calls “fine vittles” that are fully inspired by classic Southern cooking. The vegan establishment claims that its menu will be distinguished from other plant-based chains because its menu features “down-home” comfort food that is otherwise difficult to find. Customers nationwide will be able to get a taste of delicious comfort food without any animal-based ingredients. Some key menu items include the Nashville Hawt spicy fried chik’n sandwich and the Florida Fried Green Tomatoes. Dharma also boasts fair prices starting at $16 for meals and $3.50 for side dishes.

Since first arriving on the scene in Florida years ago, EDC Orlando has become one of the best festivals in the Sunshine State. Each edition has seen organizers upgrade the experience for fans with a recent expansion to three days, massive stages with high-quality sound, and their signature production elements to further add to the fun. Those aspects, on top of the stacked lineups, have made this one of the most desirable festivals for Floridians and those from outside the state to flock to annually. Organizers of the annual Electric Daisy Carnival dance bash unveiled the 2022 festival dates, and all systems are go for an autumn return to downtown Orlando. In a trailer released on Friday, it was officially confirmed that EDC 2022 will be happening from November 11-13 at Tinker Field. EDC combines electronic music on multiple stages with rides and art displays, including huge three-dimensional sculptures and glow-in-the-dark environments to create an experience that brings thousands of people to Orlando every year, along with dancers, stiltwalkers, aerialists and circus performers. EDC weekend passes and tickets have gone on sale now through the festival's website. Limited Early Owl three-day GA passes for EDC Orlando are available now for $189.99 (+tax and fees) with the enhanced GA+ passes available at $269.99 (+tax and fees). Anyone looking to upgrade their experience with extra amenities including exclusive areas to dance, private bathrooms, a dedicated entry line, and more should check out the VIP option for the festival as well which begins at $389.99 (+tax and fees). Stay tuned for more news about the upcoming edition of EDC Orlando right here at Gotta Go Orlando!

We now have more details from the fully immersive queue area for the new Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind family-thrill coaster coming to EPCOT this summer! D23 have shared details on the thrilling storytelling coaster where guests will be invited on an intergalactic chase through time and space as they are called into action to help the Guardians of the Galaxy. This attraction will open in the World Discovery neighborhood of EPCOT and features Disney’s first ever reverse-launch! It’s a first-of-its-kind programmable Omnicoaster ride system, where guests can be rotated along the ride track towards the action. It will also be one of the longest enclosed coasters in the world! The queue area will include Galaxarium, a planetarium-like exhibition showcasing the connections between Xandar and Terra (aka Earth). The full viewable experience in the Galaxarium will be over 30 minutes long and you will get a taste of the whole show, including Xandar, Earth, the Andromeda, and Milky Way Galaxies and Star-Lord’s iconic Awesome Mix Vol. 1! We cannot wait for this ride!!

Very exciting news today, as Disney Parks have shared a video on Instagram teasing an announcement coming on Monday, April 4, regarding at the brand new attraction, Guardians of the Galaxy: Cosmic Rewind at EPCOT. The video shows “Awesome Mix vol. Cosmic Rewind” playing in a tape deck before it glitches and the text changes to “Monday.” This looks like we may be getting an official opening date for the new coaster on Monday!

The American Dream is the world's longest car, and it's the only car in world where you can take it for a spin, then lounge in its swimming pool, land on its helipad and golf on its putting green! The newly restored car, built out of six 1976 Cadillac Eldorado limos, is a showstopper with 26 wheels and space for up to 75 people and has driven into Dezerland Park Orlando's Auto Museum here in Orlando! The American Dream first rose to fame in the late 1980s, when it was first assembled by Hollywood's favourite car designer Jay Ohrberg. But the limo was so long that it soon became difficult to drive and park, and was left abandoned to rot. "I found the car about 10 years ago," Mike Manning, president of the automotive teaching museum Autoseum said, That's when he decided to buy the rusty and long forgotten car, and dreamt of the day he'd bring it back to its former glory. He started to restore the Caddy with his students at a technical teaching museum, but ran out of money to support the project. Then the museum lost the lease on its space in Nassau County, N.Y. Manning couldn't find another place to store the American Dream, so he gave it up and listed it on eBay. In 2019, the owner of Orlando's Dezerland, Michael Dezer bought it, and came up with a plan to pay Manning and his students to complete the restoration process in Orlando, before putting the car on display at Dezerland Park Car Museum and Tourist Attractions. The American Dream actually broke its own record for longest car in the world. In 1986, Guinness measured the newly built limo to be 18.28 metres (60 feet). The original designer later extended it to 30.5 metres (or 100 feet) long. On March 1 this year, Guinness recertified the renovated ride at a length of 30.54 metres, just under four centimetres longer than its first record.

VIRGIN Atlantic’s much anticipated first ever flight between Edinburgh and Orlando touched down at Orlando International Airport for the first time on Wednesday, 30th March. Operating on an Airbus 330-300, the services will operate twice weekly, providing direct connections for the airline’s Scottish customers to the theme park capital of the world. As the gateway to the highlands, the new service from Edinburgh Airport will provide travellers from Florida with a direct link to Scotland’s fascinating historic capital city, alongside easy access to the country’s dramatic, world-famous countryside. This is a brand new destination for both the Scottish airport, and also for MCO, providing a direct link to Scotland's capital city. For UK tourists, Virgin is offering six nights in Orlando at Universal’s Endless Summer Resort for a family of four can be purchased from just £3889. This includes scheduled Virgin Atlantic Economy flights departing from Edinburgh on 7th May 2022. This package includes up 25% worth of hotel discount. Six nights in Orlando at Disney’s All Star Resort for a family of four can be purchased from just £4540. This includes scheduled Virgin Atlantic Economy flights departing from Edinburgh on 10th September 2022. Six nights at Holiday Inn Resort Lake Buena Vista for just £1159 per person. This includes scheduled Virgin Atlantic Economy flights departing from Edinburgh on 3rd September 2022, and complimentary transport to Disney World Resort and Universal Resort. The sixth night also comes included for Virgin guests. Juha Jarvinen, Chief Commercial Officer at Virgin Atlantic, commented; “Commencing flights from Edinburgh to Orlando marks an exciting new chapter for Virgin Atlantic and we couldn’t be happier to launch our second route from our new home in Scotland, following the launch of our direct service to Barbados last year.” “Orlando is the theme park capital of the world and the heartland of Virgin Atlantic’s leisure programme. I know our Scottish customers will love exploring the likes of Walt Disney World and Universal Studios alongside the array of incredible experiences this exciting destination has to offer. “

Orange County Government, The City of Orlando and Visit Orlando have announced the return of #407Day this Thursday, April 7, 2022, for residents to celebrate their hometown pride and support local area businesses. This special campaign, inspired by the destination’s longtime area code, encourages residents to support their favorite restaurants, bars, shops, boutiques, services and other locally owned businesses by sharing posts and photos on their social media channels using the hashtag #407Day. All three entities have partnered with leading local food blog Tasty Chomps for a #407Day social media giveaway. Residents will have the chance to win prizes from local businesses and organizations by sharing their posts and photos on April 7, marked with the #407Day hashtag, via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Lucky winners will be awarded giveaways from attractions such as Wild Florida and WonderWorks Orlando, local nonprofit organizations Orlando Ballet and the Downtown Development Board, and restaurants such as AVA MediterrAegean, Taverna Opa, Tapa Toro Tapas Bar & Paella Pit, Orlando Cat Café, deep blu Seafood Grille, and The Glass Knife. “Small businesses are the backbone of our community, and when we come together to support each other, we all thrive,” said Orange County Mayor Jerry L. Demings. “We must continue to celebrate the local businesses that make our region a special place to live. I encourage all residents to join me on April 7 and visit your favorite local business or restaurant. Together, we can make a difference by supporting our neighbors.” “I am proud to be a resident of our vibrant, inclusive community and always enjoy sharing what I love about Orlando. #407Day gives us all the opportunity to showcase our hometown pride and the small businesses that make our community such a special place,” said Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer. “As Orlando residents we are lucky to live in a destination that tops the vacation bucket list for millions of visitors from around the world,” said Visit Orlando President & CEO Casandra Matej. “Part of what makes our destination so special is the range of local businesses, and we encourage everyone to go out on #407Day to share recommendations and show support for their favorites.” Prizes are being offered by the following businesses and organizations: AVA MediterrAegean (Chef’s table dinner for two and sommelier-selected wine bottle) deep blu Seafood Grille (Dinner for two) Downtown Development Board (“407” t-shirts) Orlando Ballet (2 tickets to “The Great Gatsby”) Orlando Cat Cafe (2 passes to the Kitty Play area) Tapa Toro Tapas & Paella Pit ($25 gift cards) Taverna Opa Orlando ($25 gift cards) The Glass Knife ($100 gift card) Wild Florida (2 passes to the Drive-Thru Safari and Giraffe Feeding experience) WonderWorks Orlando (Tickets for a family four-pack)

Great news for dessert fans as The Peach Cobbler Factory is coming to Central Florida! The sweet, sticky dessert restaurant announced a new multi-unit agreement deal that is bringing the company to Orlando, Winter Park and Lake Buena Vista. The company say that although they do not yet have the first location finalized, they are hoping to break ground by May. The Peach Cobbler Factory was founded in Nashville, TN in 2013 by Tamira Edgerton and Juan Edgerton and the couple partnered with seasoned franchise developer Greg George in July, 2021 to launch PCF Franchise LLC. The stores feature 12 different cobblers and five different banana puddings and ar peachy tea. The cobblers are apple, walnut and raisin; honey apple; cinnamon peach praline; sweet potato pecan; caramel apple; blackberry; blackberry and peach; cherry; mango peach; peach; strawberry; and strawberry and peach. The banana puddings are classic, Nutella, Oreo and strawberry. The Peach Cobbler Factory also sells five different cinnamon rolls, including a cobbler-stuffed roll, and cold-brewed coffee. Customers can add ice cream to the cobblers and to the cinnamon rolls. The company offers a family style dessert shop with old fashioned cobbler, cinnamon rolls, banana pudding, peachy tea and cold brew coffee. For more information, please visit www.peachcobblerfactory.com.

Central Florida's newest theme park, Peppa Pig Theme Park has extended its hours of operation on select dates in April, giving visitors more time to enjoy the park and splash about in puddles. ​The Winter Haven park will open at 9 a.m., an hour earlier than its usual 10 a.m. start time, from April 2-24. Adjacent to Legoland Florida, Peppa Pig Theme Park opened to the public on Feb. 24. The park is designed for preschoolers and features attractions and rides inspired by the popular children’s TV series. Rides include Daddy Pig’s Roller Coaster, Grandad Dog’s Pirate Boat Ride and Grampy Rabbit’s Dinosaur Adventure.

Get in on the action with The rock! An action packed wax figure of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has been added to Madame Tussauds here in Orlando. ​Paying tribute to Johnson’s action roles, the figure is dressed in a white T-shirt and cargo pants and is shown scaling a building by rope. The area where the figure is located also has special effects, including sound, wind and fog, plus, as well as posing with the figure, you can join The Rock, and scale the building together! The figure of Johnson at the International Drive attraction within Icon Park Orlando is one of four unveiled by Madame Tussauds on Thursday. The other figures, which depict Johnson in different poses, are located at the company’s museums in Las Vegas, Los Angeles and New York. Johnson said in an Instagram post about the statues, “The thing I’m most amazed with, that we were able to capture with all of these DJ statues around the world, is we captured the energy, the spirit,” The four statues join figures in London and Hong Kong. “We’re honored to have had the opportunity to represent him at the world’s greatest wax museum,” Madame Tussauds head of marketing Matthew Clarkson said in a news release. In Orlando, Johnson joins wax figures of other celebrities such as Ariana Grande, Pitbull, Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams, Justin Bieber and Superman!

Great news from Universal Orlando Resort! The Orlando resort has announced that hugs are back at the resorts theme parks, the first time since March 2022 that character meet and greets are fully back to normal! While physical distancing had no longer been required for character meet-and-greets at Universal, until recently, characters didn’t actually physically interact with guests, until now that is! We'll be back in the parks to hug Spiderman and The Simpsons soon!!

Disney’s All-Star Sports Resort has officially reopened at Walt Disney World for the first time in two years, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a big returning milestone for Walt Disney World as it marks the last and final resort at Walt Disney World to reopen after the COVID-19 closures of March 2020. Minnie Mouse, Mickey Mouse and Goofy joined Disney cast members at Disney's All-Star Sports Resort at Walt Disney World to commemorate the Disney Resort hotel's March 31 reopening.