Fun Spot America is inviting everyone to ride the wheel of love this Valentine's Day with your special someone for FREE! Returning for another year, on Tuesday, February 14, visit either of Fun Spot America's two Central Florida locations, at I-Drive, Orlando, or next to Fun Spot in Kissimmee and ride the Ferris Wheel. Just head to any ticket window to receive your free ride! This year, Fun Spot America is celebrating its 25th Anniversary. Fun Spot America is a family-owned business, and this year they are celebrating Fun Spot's 25th Anniversary. Fun Spot first opened on International Drive, on December 24, 1997.

Cupid’s Undie Run is returning to Orlando for another year of raising money, and having fun! Every February, thousands of undie runners in cities all across the U.S. come together, to support those affected by NF, a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body and affects 1 in every 3,000 births. Here in Orlando, hundred's of people are expected to gather downtown on Saturday, February 11 to take part in a BRIEF run in their undies for this year's Cupid's Undie Run. The main purpose of Cupid's Undue Run is to raise awareness of neurofibromatosis (NF), a genetic disorder that causes tumors to grow on nerves throughout the body. As well as raising awareness and money for the Children's Tumor Foundation, Cupid’s Undie Run is a lot of fun too, the day kicks off with drinking and a lot of dancing, before participants will run, jog, or walk around a mile, before crossing the finish line for an epic dance party! If you want to enjoy a fun day in your undies in downtown, you still have time to register. Oh and just in case you were wondering why runners run in their undies, organisers say "it's because those affected by NF can’t cover up their tumors. They can’t put on clothes to feel more comfortable, so why should we?" Since 2010, organizers have brought together over 108,600 undie runners to raise over $21,700,000 since the inception of Cupid’s Undie Run, with 100% of net proceeds funding NF research, through a partnership with the Children’s Tumor Foundation.

Orlando's City District Main Street wants to know how safe you feel downtown. On Tuesday, January 17, 2023 the City of Orlando held a meeting regarding proposed changes to safety and security in our community. In search of new, effective safety and security measures, the City has proposed new regulations that would force downtown bars and clubs to close at midnight instead of the current 2 am. Plus, they want to prevent any new bars and clubs from opening for the next six months. In the wake of these proposals, City District Main Street is asking the community to participate in a survey to discover how safe people feel downtown and what can be done to improve safety. The 18-question survey takes about 5 minutes and asks a variety of safety-related questions, including the level of police protection in downtown Orlando, if you've been a victim of a violent crime, and your thoughts on what can be done to decrease violence. City District Main Street commented "The intent of this survey is to gauge the current safety sentiment, needs of workers, residents, businesses, property owners and visitors in downtown Orlando, while soliciting solutions" If you want to give your opinion, click here to take the survey. City District Main Street are also urging the community to make sure all voices are heard regarding these changes and the safety of our neighborhood, and are urging everyone to share your thoughts and feedback on these proposed changes in a variety of ways. You canshare your feedback, or opinions with City Officials - Executive City Officials will be located at Discover Downtown (201 S Orange Ave) on 1/25 - 1/26, from 1-5 PM to hear comments from the public. A meeting will be held in City Hall on Monday, 1/23 at 2:00 PM regarding comments and concerns about these new proposed changes. *This is a first read of the ordinances and public comment is welcome!* A second meeting will be held at City Hall on Thursday 1/26 at 2:00 PM. You can participate in public comment, either in person or virtually by submitting your comments using this link. https://www.orlando.gov/Events/City-Council-Meeting

The Sanford Mardi Gras Street Party is back, so grab your beads and get ready to party. Historic Downtown Sanford is bringing the Big Easy to Central Florida with the ninth annual Mardi Gras Street Party on Saturday, February 18, from 4 pm to 9 pm. Guests can enjoy great food, music and fun for a cause at this beloved community event. The festival, hosted by The West End Trading Co. and Historic Downtown Sanford®, will take place in the 'Famous L' of beautiful Historic Downtown Sanford and feature food trucks, live music, craft beer, cocktails and more. The parade starts on 6th Street and Sanford Avenue! Gathering starts at 3. 30 pm and then at 4 pm, sashay your way down Sanford Avenue all the way down to West End Trading Co. with musicians such as Kid Dutch’s Perseverance Band and The Smoking Jackets, golf carts, dancers, artists and the community! "The Mardi Gras Street Party is one of our favorite Sanford events and we're so excited to celebrate with everyone again!" said Paul Williams, owner of The West End Trading Co. "It's a great way for the community to support Meals on Wheels and enjoy local vendors, live music and delicious food and drink." The beneficiary, Meals on Wheels, has been providing home-delivered meals and transportation services to the seniors of Seminole County since 1973. In the past eight years, the Mardi Gras Street Party has raised thousands of dollars for this charity.

This Valentine's Day treat you special someone to an evening in downtown, enjoying a memorable experience at the theater Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts is celebrating Valentine's Day by offering savings on select shows. Guests can save 20% on a romantic evening in Steinmetz Hall using code VDAY20 now through Tuesday, February 14. For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit DrPhillipsCenter.org. Participating Shows Orlando Ballet Presents Moulin Rouge The Ballet Thursday, February 9, 2023 and Saturday, February 11, 2023 Orlando Ballet brings the spirit of Paris and the world’s most famous cabaret, the Moulin Rouge, to life in an evening of passion, betrayal, love and high-energy can-can. Step into the romantic world as Jorden Morris’ original work, Moulin Rouge®The Ballet returns for a full staging, this time in Steinmetz Hall. Originally presented in Orlando in 2020, a full 40 minutes has been restored so audiences can revel in the glory of the Bohemian nightlife. VDAY20 offer only valid through Saturday, February 4 and on select performances. Dr. Phillips Center Presents An Evening with Leslie Odom, Jr. Sunday, March 12, 2023 The multi-faceted Tony and Grammy Award-winning, three-time Emmy and two-time Academy Award-nominated vocalist, songwriter, author and actor performs in Steinmetz Hall for An Evening with Leslie Odom, Jr. on March 12.With a career that spans and achievements in Broadway, television, film and music. He can currently be seen in Rian Johnson’s critically acclaimed Knives Out sequel, Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, streaming worldwide on Netflix. In 2020, Odom starred as legendary singer Sam Cooke in the award-winning Amazon film adaptation of One Night in Miami…, directed by Regina King. His portrayal of the soul icon and musical performance of original song “Speak Now” was met with widespread praise and critical acclaim, earning him multiple awards and nominations. Dr. Phillips Center Presents Pink Martini with special guest China Forbes Wednesday, March 22, 2023 On March 22, bring your valentine to Pink Martini with special guest China Forbes to experience a dozen musicians with songs in 25 languages as Pink Martini performs its multilingual repertoire on concert stages and with symphony orchestras through Europe, Asia, Greece, Turkey, the Middle East, Northern Africa, New Zealand, South America and North America. Pink Martini has sold over 3 million albums worldwide on their own independent label Heinz Records (named after their bandleader’s dog). The band’s debut album Sympathique was released in 1997, and quickly became an international phenomenon, garnering the group nominations for “Song of the Year” and “Best New Artist” in France’s Victoires de la Musique Awards in 2000. Dr. Phillips Center Presents Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis Thursday, May 25, 2023 The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra (JLCO) performs with jazz icon Wynton Marsalis on May 25 in Steinmetz Hall, comprising 15 of the finest jazz soloists and ensemble players today. JLCO has been the Jazz at Lincoln Center resident orchestra since 1988 and spends over a third of the year on tour across the world. Under Music Director Wynton Marsalis, the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performs a vast repertoire, from rare historic compositions to Jazz at Lincoln Center commissioned works, including compositions and arrangements by Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Fletcher Henderson, Thelonious Monk, Mary Lou Williams, Dizzy Gillespie, Benny Goodman, Charles Mingus, and current and former Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra members Wynton Marsalis, Wycliffe Gordon, Ted Nash, Victor Goines, Sherman Irby, Chris Crenshaw, and Carlos Henriquez.

Love is in the air, and and you and your partner are thinking of getting married soon then the Office of Kelvin Soto, Esq., Osceola Clerk of the Circuit Court & County Comptroller, is hosting a group Valentine’s Day Group Ceremony & Reception in the Historic Osceola County Courthouse, and couples still have to time take part in the ceremony! On February 14th, 2023, couples who have registered will be married in one of two group ceremonies by Clerk & Comptroller Kelvin Soto. The two ceremonies, one in English (10 a.m.) and one in Spanish (2 p.m.), will be held in the state’s oldest courthouse in continuous use. The cost for the special group ceremony and reception is $50 (nonrefundable) which includes statutory ceremony and recording fees, a commemorative certificate, light reception fare, and photo opportunities. Space is limited so registration is required. To register, please ask your Customer Care Agent when you make your appointment for a marriage license. Make sure to register during your marriage license appointment now through February 10! Appointments for marriage licenses may be made here: Wizard Appointment -Service. Please note, marriage license fees are in addition to the group ceremony fee and are based on statutory requirements. Plus, all couples couples getting married between February 1 and February 28 can enjoy a Celebration of Love Wedding Ceremony. During the month of February, the Osceola County Jon B. Morgan Courthouse Marriage Ceremony room has been turned into a romantic venue space in celebration of Valentine’s Day. Couples will also receive a complimentary Valentine’s themed commemorative decorative certificate. We look forward to celebrating love all month long! Local legends surround the Historic Osceola County Courthouse. The Historic Courthouse began holding trials in 1889 and is the oldest courthouse in continuous use in the State of Florida. All types of cases, from chicken thievery and the selling of moonshine, to high profile murder cases have been heard in the Historic Courthouse building. The building was added to the National Historic Register in 1977.

As we get ever closer to the April opening of TRON Lightcycle Run opening at Magic Kingdom, Walt Disney World has released an on-ride POV of the attraction. The coaster lasts approximately 60 seconds, and while the video does not show the entire ride, we get to seethe majority of the experience. What the POV doesn't show is sections of the indoor portion of the ride, guess we will just have to wait and see it for ourselves when we ride it soon.

Following a Christmas Drag Show, “A Drag Queen Christmas” on December 28, by the drag group Drag Fans, at Orlando's Plaza Live which drew protests outside the venue due to the fact that the event’s ticketing page stated “all ages welcome.” Now the popular Orlando venue which is home to the Orlando Philharmonic, faces losing its liquor license. On the day of the show, December 28, The The Department of Business and Professional Regulation, Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco targeted The Plaza Live owners, The Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation, sending them a letter that threatened to suspend the venue’s alcohol license if any children or younger teens attended the performance of “A Drag Queen Christmas” by the drag group Drag Fans. In the letter, state officials wrote that they believed the show, may have involved “the exposure of sexual organs, simulated sexual activity, and/or the sexualization of children’s stories.” According to the department, Drag Fans’ drag shows have been marketed to and attended by young children in the past. State officials added that sexually explicit drag shows constitute public nuisances, lewd activity and disorderly conduct when children are attending the shows. Secretary of Business and Professional Regulation Melanie Griffin said that the foundation would be responsible for making sure that no minors are in attendance at Wednesday’s show. “In short, if you allow children to attend the Drag Fans drag show at your facility, you are putting your license in jeopardy...” Griffin wrote. “If minors are allowed to attend this drag show, the Department will take any and all actions available to ensure that you do not pose a threat to minors in the future.” State officials also stated that exposing children to sexually explicit activities is a crime in Florida, which would warrant revocation of the venue’s liquor license. Despite the warnings, the venue went ahead with the performance. The management at Plaza Live posted a sign at the entrance of the venue, advising that some of the content may not be suitable for those under the age of 18. However, the state released images of adults bringing children into the venue. On the night of the show, police were in attendance to oversee protestors and counter protestors who had gathered outside the venue ahead of the performance. Protestors proclaiming to be conservatives, and christians compared the show to a strip show at a strip club, and claimed the show was x rated and pornographic, and that taking a child to a drag show amounted to child abuse. Counter protestors pushed back on the claims stating that the show included no nudity, and that it was up to parents whether their kids could attend a mature content show or not, much the same as in movie theatres. The protests and counter protests continued until after the show ended, with no reports of any physical altercations, or arrests. Fast forward to today, Friday, February 4, On Friday, an administrative complaint was released that shows the department is revoking the venue’s license for the sale and consumption of alcoholic beverages. According to the complaint, the show featured several sexualized adaptations of popular Christmas songs for children, including “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth” and “Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.” The show also featured performers engaging in “simulated sexual activity,” exposing their buttocks and wearing prosthetic female genitalia, the complaint shows. Due to the allegations included in the complaint, state officials said the department was granted authority to revoke the venue’s license. The Orlando Philharmonic Plaza Foundation Board of Directors released a statement in response on Friday night. "The Plaza Live has always been a welcoming and inclusive establishment that operates in good faith and compliance with all applicable laws. That includes respecting the rights of parents to decide what content is or is not appropriate for their own children," read the statement. "After hosting similar holiday drag performances for 8 consecutive years, without incident, we have just been made aware of this administrative complaint and are working with our legal team to evaluate and respond appropriately."

Walt Disney World and the Service Trades Council Union have been involved in tough contract negotiations over the past several month over a wage increase, and better benefits for over 45.000 Walt Disney World Cast Members which the Union represents. For the past two days, unionised Cast Members have been voting on whether to accept an offer from Walt Disney World of an extra $1 per hour. Voting ended in the last few hours, and 96% of workers voted NO to accepting Disney's offer. The final vote results were 13,650 voted NO to the company's offer, while only 526 voted YES to accept the company's offer With the results confirmed, Local 737 he union which represents the vast majority of Disney’s Cast Members has officially voted to reject Disney’s most recent offer to the union in favor of more beneficial terms to Cast Members represented. The outcome of the negotiations over the Cast Members contracts which mainly focused on wages, healthcare, and retirement ended last October, resulted in Disney offerering a pay rise of $1 as their “best offer” to Cast Members with plans to raise wages a further $1 per year annually until reaching $20. The union is asking for $18 per hour now, and a plan to eventually raise this to $20 per hour. Following the outcome of the negotiations, Cast Members were seen protesting outside of Walt Disney World in November. The rejection of Walt Disney World's offer will hopefully bring both sides back to the negotiation table for more talks.

As Walt Disney Imagineers begin the transformation of Splash Mountain into Tiana’s Bayou Adventure at Walt Disney World, Disney have shared more details on the storyline that the new attraction will create. At a young age, Tiana developed a deep passion for cooking, and began to dream of one day owning her own business. Her father, James, taught her that good food brings folks together. One of the most exciting parts of Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is that we’re going to see where Tiana’s life has taken her following the success of Tiana’s Palace, a restaurant she had dreamed of owning and worked so hard to make come true. Walt Disney Imagineering is creating an original, next chapter story for Tiana. Within the attraction queue, guests will discover that she continues to grow her business with Tiana’s Foods – an employee-owned cooperative. Combining her talents with those of the local community, Tiana has transformed an aging salt mine and built a beloved brand. The endeavor began when Tiana purchased the salt mine and the area surrounding the large salt dome it operated from. With the help of her mother Eudora, Naveen, Louis and fellow owners of the cooperative, Tiana revived the old salt mine and the surrounding land, growing a wide array of vegetables, herbs and spices for her recipes. This multi-faceted enterprise has turned the aging salt mine into a space that has come alive. Complete with a boutique farm and both a working and teaching kitchen, Tiana’s Foods is where Tiana and her colleagues create all sorts of new products that they are bringing to the world, including a line of original hot sauces. Tiana wants to give a big thanks to her family and friends and the entire community for all the support they’ve given her by throwing an amazing party during Mardi Gras season. When it turns out there’s been a bit of a mix–up with the party preparations, Tiana invites us to meet her at Tiana’s Foods to help with the missing ingredient for the party. When we arrive, we may see that Tiana spruced up the company’s facilities with vibrant art from local artists. Food for the party is being prepared and beignets are being loaded into crates for the celebration. All kinds of preparations are underway for the journey into the bayou with Tiana, along with new and familiar friends from the animated film. Picking up where that story left off, Tiana continues bringing people together with Tiana’s Foods, another treasured meeting place to spend time together and celebrate a diverse community. Tiana is also working with cooperative members to teach gardening and cooking to children of all ages, and inspiring other women to run successful businesses as the brand grows nationwide.

Cast member previews began today, Friday, February 3, for the long delayed TRON Lightcycle Run at Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom which is due to open to the public on April 4 this year Sadly there appears to be a big problem with the new attractions ride vehicles. Many of the Cast Members who have already attended today’s TRON Lightcycle Run previews have reported issues with fitting into the ride vehicles. The issue is quite simply that the design of the ride vehicles, called light cycles are simply not accommodating for larger riders. Cast Members are reportedly having issues when boarding the lightcycles which you have to sit on in a position much like a real bike. Once in position, a safety restraint is lowered into place behind you, which secures your back., and this is where the problem is. On many occasions the back restraint has not been able to be lowered on larger riders. The saving grace for this situation is that half the Lightcycle trains have accessible cars with seats instead of cycles in the back row, although this in itself will create massive problems when the ride is up and runnings proper, as larger guests will have to wait on the loading station for a seat on two accessible seats on only half the trains, and that's if all trains are operating at full capacity. If the seats prove to be too small for a large number of guests you can imagine how long the lines will be for the seats.

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) have released its Cities Economic Impact Report sponsored by Visa and researched in partnership with Oxford Economics, revealing that Orlando played the largest role in the domestic travel industry's recovery in 2022. Based on the reports findings, Orlando was the largest U.S. Travel and Tourism city destination in 2022 with an economic contribution of over $31 billion, which represents 20 percent of the city’s total GDP and marks a recovery above pre-pandemic 2019 levels by a whopping $2.7 billion. Las Vegas came in as the nation's second largest Travel and Tourism market with a direct GDP contribution of $23 billion last year, surpassing the 2019 baseline by 5.3 percent. Miami cane in at number three, recording a GDP comeback last year of $11.1 billion that exceeded pre-pandemic Travel and Tourism contributions by as much as 5 percent despite a significant 56 percent drop in economic contribution from the sector in the pandemic-plagued 2020. New York City came in at number 4, while Los Angeles came in at number 5. "It was a fightback year for cities across the country in 2022. Destinations like Orlando, Miami, Chicago and Las Vegas are back stronger than ever before thanks to the relaxation of pandemic restrictions and a strong rebound of consumer confidence," WTTC President and CEO Julia Simpson said.