Universal Orlando Resort have paid a simple ,yet poignant tribute to Scottish actor Robbie Coltrane who recently passed. The theme park have placing flowers in front of the Hagrid Animatronic on Hagrid’s Magical Motorbike Adventure in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. As you can see, a bunch of tulips are now lying in front of the animatronic Hagrid, the character that Coltrane portrayed in the Harry Potter movies. Ronnie Coltrane, star of film, television and comedy died at the age of 72 last week. Credit: misswizardingworld Last Friday October 14, in another lovely gesture to the sad passing of Robbie Coltrane, Harry Potter fans unofficially gathered in front of Hogwarts Castle in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure to honour the man who brought the wonderful character of Hagrid to life. Fans raised wands to the sky in front of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey to honour the gifted actor. Credit: Wishes Family Travel – Annette Miller Some fans raised pink umbrellas to honour Robbie as Hagrid would use a pink umbrella to conduct a little magic in the films. This is the second time that fans have gather in Universal's Islands of Adventure to honor the passing of an actor who stared in the Harry Potter movies. In 2016, a similar gathering took place when Alan Rickman who played Severus Snape, passed away. One of Scotland's national treasures. Robbie may have passed but we will always have his wonderful legacy in Hagrid. He was JK Rowling's first choice to play Hagrid in the Harry Potter films. The author paid her own tribute, calling him "a complete one off". We are also lucky to have a fantastic ride named after Robbie's wonderful character too, right here in Orlando. Hagrid’s Magical Creatures Motorbike Adventure.

Halloween in Orlando really is the most wonderful time of the year for us horror fans, seriously there is so many horrendously frightening experiences to terrify you! One of the best spooky season scare experiences in Central Florida is a horrifying journey into A Petrified Forest! This terrifying independent outdoor scare trail which is located in the Altamonte Springs area of Orlando is legendary around these parts. A Petrified Forest is a home grown community attraction, offering three intensely horrifying scare trails set in a genuinely spooky forest location covering around 2 acres. The trails are long, with uniquely themed rooms and awesome scares around every turn. The annual Halloween event continues to grow ever year, and now offer a whole night out with great music, food concessions, local art vendors, laser tag, backstage tours, and so much more. For 2022, A Petrified Forest is back with a tag line of Natures Fury Running select evenings from now until October 29, this year’s event explores the horrors of the land, sea, and sky! This Halloween, A Petrified Forest offers three all new scares full of sheer horror, and best of all this haunt is located right in the middle of a real forest! These outdoor trails wind their way through bone-chilling houses and are home to believable scare actors that weave into the crowd to catch attendees when they least expect it. Due to the nature of the haunt, event organizers suggest no children under 12 and if they do come, they must be accompanied by an adult. There are three different experiences for you to choose from, with the most common being the FURY Pass which gives you access to all three trails starting at $31.98. The attraction is open every Thursday, Friday & Saturday in October plus special events. Wednesdays & Thursdays: 7:30 – 10 p.m., Fridays & Saturdays: 7:30 – 10:30 p.m. You will encounter A Petrified Forrest at 1360 E Altamonte Dr, Altamonte Springs FL 32701 If you’re looking for a heart-pumping, hair-raising scare this Halloween season then you’re going to want to gather your most fearless friends and take a trip to The Petrified Forest.

Ello Poppet, are you searching for treasure? Then listen up scallywags, them there land lovers at Vault Collectables in the Lakeland Antique Mall are offering you the chance to live like a pirate every day! Yes it's true, adventure awaits as Vault Collectables are selling the actual furniture and props from the Pirate rooms at the Caribbean Beach Resort directly to the public! As Jack Sparrow once said "Not all treasure is silver and gold mate." and yes, that's true!! If a pirate life is for you, then this is your chance!! The store is selling individual pieces of furniture and props or you can even purchase an entire room, right down to the carpet which features a map! Imagine, owning such an amazing piece of Walt Disney World history, an actual Pirate rooms from the Caribbean Beach Resort! You should contact Vault Collectables for pricing and specific items. They have most of the items in the room except for the mini-fridge, mattresses, TV's, pillows, sheets and bathroom vanities. The store has items from 170 rooms, but with millions of Disney fans out there many items will sell out quickly, so you best drop anchor soon at the Lakeland Mall! Have a look at the details on their Facebook Page, plus you can check out the goodies on Vault's E-Bay Page.

Hey, Florida explorers, we have great news from Wild Florida, as the attraction has announced that they will fully re-open from Thursday, October 20, 2022. The attraction has been busy recovering from the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, operating with limited attractions since the monster storm tore through the area. The Gator Park, Chomp House Grill and Airboat Tours have all been unable to open, with only the Drive-Thru Safari Park open. ⁠Now fully re-opening on October 20, when you visit Wild Florida you can enjoy an Airboat Tour, visit the Gator Park, or enjoy barbecue at the Chomp House Grill, as well as taking a wild ride through Wild Florida's Drive-Thru Safari Park and feeding some of their tallest residents on our Giraffe Feeding Platform! Wild Florida is known for their amazing Everglades airboat tours, which is a must do on any visit to Central Florida, you get to explore a part of pristine marshland that hasn’t changed from when early pioneers settled in the 1800s. Guests climb aboard a U.S. Coast Guard certified airboat and get the opportunity to see eagles, turkeys, wild boar, roseate spoonbills, alligators, and other native wildlife. After your airboat tour, you can stroll through their Alligator Park where you can see lemurs, sloths, zebras, and other animals native to South America, Africa, and Australia. The Chomp House Grill turns out some of the best barbecue around, and you should try theirr Swamp Slushy – a frozen blend of mango, orange, and passionfruit. To book your upcoming adventure, head on over to Wild Florida's website.

Word on the streets of The Norway Pavilion is that Akershus Royal Banquet Hall at EPCOT could soon re-open. Located in the Norway Pavilion, this is where you can join Disney Princesses for Storybook Dining inside a medieval castle with soaring archways and cathedral ceilings, while enjoying unique Norwegian Cuisine. Akershus Royal Banquet Hall has been closed since March 2020 due to the COVID Pandemic, the restaurant along with others in EPCOT World Showcase have not re-opened as of yet due to the fact that staffing throughout World Showcase at EPCOT had been problematic for Walt Disney World management without Cast Members from the Cultural Representative Program to staff them. Walt Disney World resumed the Cultural Representative Program in August, and as Cultural Representatives return to World Showcase, we will hopefully see all pavilions return to normal. In addition to the return of the Cultural Representatives, Walt Disney World has recently made changes to the online menus for Akershus Royal Banquet Hall, including changes to the pricing, and food and drink options, an indication that Disney are preparing for the re-opening of the location. Here is the updated menu on the Walt Disney World's website: Taste of Norway Start the day with American breakfast favorites served family-style, and enjoy Norwegian-inspired fare for lunch and dinner. Breakfast may include such selections as scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, potato casserole, cinnamon rolls and fresh fruit. At lunch and dinner, every Guest’s royal feast begins with a “Taste of Norway”—featuring the finest Scandinavian seafood, imported cheeses, cured and sliced meats, and a vast selection of salads and fruits. Then, take your pick from a rotating menu of hot entrées, including grilled fillet of salmon, oven-roasted chicken breast and a Norwegian meatball dish called Kjøttkake. Children’s menu options include favorites like pizza and pasta—as well as healthy selections like grilled chicken and salmon served with vegetables. Be sure to save room for The Royal Chef’s Dessert Plate too—a platter of 3 delectable desserts served family-style for the perfect ending to your feast. This is the details for Princess Storybook Dining: Join your favorite Disney princesses in a fairytale setting, while enjoying unique Norwegian Cuisine.Join your favorite Disney princesses in a fairytale setting, while enjoying unique Norwegian Cuisine. Her Highness the Queen is holding a feast in honor of the world’s best-loved Storybook Princesses—and you’re invited! Dine in a medieval castle as Disney Princesses and Friends mingle with Guests to give autographs and pose for pictures. All who attend the royal banquet can expect to meet several of the following Disney Characters: Snow White Cinderella Belle Princess Aurora Ariel

The thunder is gonna get real loud at this year's Country Thunder Florida, so get your cowboy boots on and get ready for this year's star studded lineup, right here in Kissimmee. Country Thunder Florida 2022 is taking place at Osceola Heritage Park from October 21- 23. Experience this fantastic event filled with fun, the best live country music, tasty food and drinks, and so much more. “Country Thunder Florida has become the biggest country music event in Central Florida and we have these fans to thank,” says Country Thunder Music Festivals CEO, Troy Vollhoffer. “We had an amazing festival last fall with Eric Church, Dierks Bentley and Old Dominion. We knew we had to up the ante and deliver the biggest and best artist roster possible. This is the line-up those fans have asked for, and we’re thrilled to give it to them.” Country Thunder Florida 2022 Line Up Headlining this year's festival is three genuine showstoppers, first up is one of country music’s hottest new superstars Morgan Wallen, then we have one of the biggest-selling artists in country music history Jason Aldean, along with country music's nonstop hit machine Chris Young. Sharing the stage is red-hot country stars Ashley McBryde, Chase Rice, Granger Smith feat. Earl Dibbles, Jr., and Tracy Lawrence. The stellar lineup continues with Laney Wilson, James Barker Band, Lindsay Ell, Kameron Marlowe, and Clay Walker. The star filled lineup continue with country hitmakers Phil Vassar, Niko Moon, Nolan Still, Maggie Rose, John Morgan, Jackson Dean, and Jordan Rager! For more details, and to purchase tickets head to the official website. www.countrythunder.com/FL

As if to to soften the blow of increased prices, Disney has announced a limited-time discount on shopDisney merchandise for Annual Passholders. Starting this coming Thursday, October 20, through Monday, October 31, Annual Passholders can take advantage of a limited-time, 25% discount on select merchandise on shopDisney.com. Here is the details: Passholders, get a head start on all of your holiday shopping for those on your list! For a limited time, October 20 – 31, Passholders can enjoy a special 25% discount on select regularly priced merchandise at shopDisney.* Find the perfect gifts for everyone on your list or select some new décor to deck your halls this holiday season! The discount will begin at 12:01 a.m. PT/3:01 a.m. ET on October 20, 2022 and end at 11:59 p.m. PT/2:59 a.m. on Halloween night or while supplies last, whichever occurs first.

It feels like the first time in forever since Disney's Blizzard Beach at Walt Disney World has been open, and it looks like we are going to have to wait a little longer. The saga of will it, won't it open continues with Blizzard Beach, as the latest operating hours for the resort shows that Disney's Typhoon Lagoon now has scheduled opening hours until Saturday, November 12 which implies that the earliest Disney is now looking to re-open Blizzard Beach could be Sunday, November 13. Initially Blizzard Beach was not thought to open until early 2023, but it was then heavily rumouredt that Blizzard Beach. would be re-opening as early as October 30 this year due to Disney's Typhoon Lagoon not having any scheduled hours of operation past October 30, when it was expected that Typhoon Lagoon would close for its annual maintenance, which is why the rumours that Blizzard Beach would reopen on October 30 was widely reported. However, Typhoon Lagoon was then scheduled to open until Saturday November 5, so it was thought the re-opening of Blizzard Beach had been pushed back to Sunday November 6. Now it appears to have been pushed back even further, due to Typhoon Lagoon now opening until at least Saturday, November 12. Although there still hasn't been anything officially announced by Disney, rumours continues to appear that this delay which could last at least another couple of weeks beyond November 13, is due to work needing to repair damage caused by Hurricane Ian. It does seem likely that Blizzard Beach will open sooner rather than later as Disney are only updating Typhoon Lagoon's opening hours by a week at a time. This implies that Disney is ready to shut Disney's Typhoon Lagoon and reopen Blizzard Beach as soon as the repairs are completed at Blizzard Beach. As we have previously mentioned, when Blizzard Beach does re-open, it will be interesting to see if the speculating that improvements have been made to one of the water play areas, Tike's Peak, including the addition of characters including Olaf. Plus it's believed that the rumored plan to add a raft conveyor for the three Red Slope’s Runoff Rapids slides at the back of the park has been completed. We can only wait and see when Blizzard Beach re-opens, and then the question will be, will we ever see guests having the choice of both Disney's Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach when visiting Walt Disney World in the future or not? Walt Disney World's water parks have been impacted ever since the COVID closure in 2020, with only one water park operating at a time since reopening. Disney's Blizzard Beach reopened on March 7th 2021, after a near year-long closure due to the pandemic. Blizzard Beach then closed on January 3rd 2022, with Disney's Typhoon Lagoon water park reopening after a near two-year closure due to the pandemic.

Walt Disney World Cast Members at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex are getting a makeover with new costumes. The new look costumes will debut at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex from October 23, 2022. The new costumes are made from recycled polyester and have been specifically designed with active Cast Members in mind. The costumes include antimicrobial technology that prevents bacteria and provides odor control. They also feature breathable sport mesh fabric that captures and dries moisture, while the fabric has a protective shield to block UV rays.

Prices may be continuing to spiral skywards at Walt Disney World, but the demand for the resort and its activities shows no sign of ending. Hot on the heels of Mickey’s Not-So-Scary Halloween Party completely selling out in record time for this year, many dates for Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party are beginning to sell out too for 2022. Current availability is showing that all dates for the first week of the event, November 8, 10 and 11, are already sold out. Plus, for the weekday during the busy Thanksgiving week, Tuesday, November 22, is also sold out. With the price of attending Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party in December more expensive than those in November, it looks like guests are opting for the earlier and cheaper November dates. as so far no December dates are sold out. Tickets for Mickey's Very Merry Christmas Party at the Magic Kingdom have been on sale to the general public since July. Ticket prices range from $149 - $199 depending on the date selected, with children aged 3 - 9 receiving a $10 reduction.

The Arribas Brothers shops at Magic Kingdom and Disney Springs are a must visit for so many guests to Walt Disney World, and for our family, we have so many memories of visiting to purchase extra special gifts for birthdays, anniversaries and more. We have glass slippers, glass blown castles and characters, diamonte tiaras and more, all treasured keepsakes from a truly unique location in Walt Disney World. The Arribas Brothers have been a magical part of Walt Disney World since the resort opened back in 1971. The Arribas Brothers story began in the early 1960's where immersed in the rich culture of their Spanish home town of La Coruña, Spain, brothers Tomas and Alfonso Arribas mastered the 100-year old family business in the ancient techniques of Glass Blowing and Cutting. Representing Spain in the World’s Fair in 1964, the brothers met a certain Walt Disney and impressed him with their finely handcrafted works of art. Walt invited the Arribas Brothers to open their first shop at Disneyland, and in 1967 the Arribas Brothers began creating magic in a tiny shop inside the Sleeping Beauty Castle at Disneyland. These humble beginnings molded and shaped into 19 Disney park locations around the world. Pictured here is Alfonso Arribas co-founder of Arribas Brothers, who passed in late 2018. Today, Miguel Arribas, the cousin of the original Arribas Brothers, Tomas and Alfonso, is actually one of the longest-serving team members at the Walt Disney World Arribas Brothers locations. Every day you can still catch Miguel showing off his glassblowing skills in the Arribas Bros shop on Main Street U.S.A. in the Magic Kingdom or their location at Disney Springs. Miguel Arribas has devoted more than 50 years of his life to creating Disney-themed collectibles as a glass artist at Arribas Brothers stores across Walt Disney World Resort since opening year in 1971. Fascinated by the craftsmanship of his cousins, he developed his passion for glassblowing at the young age of 14 and it continues to fuel him every day. Check out the video below to see his glassblowing skills in action as he creates the extraordinary pieces we see at Arribas Brothers shops each day. Arribas says: “The best part of working at Walt Disney World is the guests. Our guests come from all over the world, but it’s always a special moment when they see my nametag and see I’m from Montevideo, Uruguay. It makes me feel proud,” Shown here is the largest glass-blown castle in the world! Made by Miguel Arribas, it took 500+ hours and over 30,000 glass loops. The Arribas fantasy castle is currently at The Shanghai Museum of Glass in China. Any visit to Walt Disney is not complete without a visit one of the Arribas Brothers shops to watch the artisans at work. At Walt Disney World, you can find Arribas Brothers shops in Disney Springs, on Main Street, U.S.A. at Magic Kingdom Park and at the Germany and Mexico Pavilions at EPCOT. The Arribas Brothers also create the popular Princess fans that can be personalized right in the store! They can add whatever name you’d like, not only are they pretty, they’re a great way to deal with the Orlando summer heat Oh and did you know its The Arribas Brothers who own the Silhouette Carts in the Magic Kingdom an d Disney Springs? They offer all types of designs. Some are related to Disney characters, and some traditional, they even do pets. Bring a photo with you if you have something specific in mind, and their artisans will recreate it for you while you wait. The Arribas Brothers also own the Parasol Cart located in Liberty Square next to Sleepy Hollow Refreshments in the Magic Kingdom. Artisans will create your own personalised parasol complete with Disney Characters and your name. If you’ve never been into the Arribas Bros shop then make it a must-do during your next visit. You’ll find an eclectic array of themed collectibles many of them made from incredible glass artists.

Iron Gwazi, North America’s tallest and the world’s fastest and steepest hybrid coaster, has helped Busch Gardens Tampa overtake SeaWorld Orlando's popularity the first time ever! Iron Gwazi which has just been awarded the Golden Ticket Award for the Best New Roller Coaster in 2022, appears to have been a huge draw for the Tampa theme park, so much so that the latest estimated attendance figures show that Busch Gardens Tampa attracted has more guests than it sister park in Central Florida, SeaWorld Orlando. Orlando's SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment which owns both SeaWorld Orlando AND Busch Gardens Tampa Bay, launched new coaster in both parks earlier this year at the same time in direct competition to each other. Over at Busch Gardens Tampa, North America's tallest and world's fastest & steepest hybrid coaste Iron Gwazi takes thrills to new heights, plunging riders from a 206 foot-tall peak into a 91-degree drop and reaching top speeds of 76 miles per hour. Riders on Iron Gwazi experience a dozen airtime moments, including three inversions, as they sink their teeth into crocodile-inspired thrills. Manufactured by Rocky Mountain Construction, the newest addition at Busch Gardens is a wood and steel hybrid coaster design, combining the innovation of a steel coaster and the nostalgia of a wooden coaster. Here in Orlando, SeaWorld launched the parks first launch coaster, a brand new family friendly coaster called Ice breaker. Ice Breaker features four airtime filled launches, both backwards and forwards, culminating in a reverse launch into the steepest beyond vertical drop in Florida – a 93 feet tall spike with 100 degree angle. The thrills continue as riders fly over a near vertical top hat manoeuvre into a series of exciting twists, turns, and airtime hills. The new coaster was voted the best in the country for 2022 by readers in the 10Best Readers Choice Awards. The annual report from Themed Entertainment Association continued to see park attendance throughout the country begin to recover, though not back to its pre-pandemic levels. The report, which contains estimated attendance figures, is regarded as the industry standard on attendance when many theme park operators don’t release such figures. Here is the figures for Central Florida's theme parks showing Busch Gardens now attracting more visitors than SeaWorld Orlando the first time. Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: 3,210,000 (12) SeaWorld Orlando: 3,051,000 (10) As you can see, previously, SeaWorld Orlando was in 10th place while Busch Gardens Tampa was in 12th place. The latest figures now show that Busch Gardens has leap frogged SeaWorld Orlando. It will be interesting to see if Busch Gardens Tampa can maintain its newly found dominate over its sister park SeaWorld Orlando in the coming years. Currently, both parks are busy building new attractions that are due to open next year in 2023 to keep the visitors flocking into both parks. Busch Gardens Tampa is building Serengeti Flyer, the world’s tallest and fastest ride of its kind, a screamin’ swing, while SeaWorld Orlando is building a yet unnamed surf coaster by Swiss coaster firm B & M, who have built three other coasters at SeaWorld Orlando: Kraken, Mako and Manta.