Florida

Gourmet Soiree: Dining to a Healthy 100

The Food Network’s Robert Irvine and Florida Hospital invite guests to roll up their sleeves and cook their way to a Healthy 100 at its newest fundraising event – Gourmet Soiree – promoting the overall health and well being of the community.

The interactive dinner will feature a reception, live and silent auctions, and a delicious meal. With guidance from renowned celebrity chefs including Irvine, Sweet! by Holly’s Hollis Wilder and other local celebrity chefs, guests will learn how exciting healthy cooking can be by preparing a healthy dinner at their very own table, while donning aprons and chef’s hats. Guests are given the opportunity to choose the area within the hospital closest to their heart to designate where their funds will be directed.

5:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Rosen Shingle Creek

9939 Universal Boulevard

Orlando, FL 32819

Individual tickets $250

Sponsorship Opportunities Available from $2,500 and up.

LEGOLAND® FLORIDA CREATES PROGRAM TO HELP PARENTS OF FIRST-TIME COASTER RIDERS

The 2012 summer travel season is here and theme parks from coast to coast are rolling out all-new, ever-daring thrill rides.

For parents hoping that this is the year their child musters the courage to take that first roller coaster adventure, it’s a tough call: do they encourage, bribe or shame their kids into facing their fears? Or let them decide for themselves?

This summer, LEGOLAND^® Florida, Central Florida’s newest theme park, is helping families deal with Veloxrotaphobia, or fear of roller coasters, by arming parents with “Roller Coaster Readiness” tips.

Leadership at the park reached out to nationally-recognized psychologist and award-winning author Dr. Susan Bartell to create tools for both guests and employees to help parents manage these challenging situations.

“Our junior roller coasters offer just the right blend of speed and thrill that make LEGOLAND Florida the perfect spot for kids to ride their very first roller coaster,” says Adrian Jones, LEGOLAND Florida general manager. “But because we know the ‘pink knuckle’ nature of these attractions doesn’t mitigate a first timer’s fears, we wanted to provide resources to parents as well as our model citizens to ensure that every first plunge is a positive experience for the entire family.”

According to Bartell, there are a host of mistakes parents commonly make when it comes to handling their child’s fear of roller coasters.

“Dismissing a child’s fear, comparing them to a sibling or friend, bribing them with gifts and money, or… Continue reading →

World War II Veterans Gather at Fantasy of Flight to Share Remembrances of D-Day

The Invasion of Normandy May 11-12

World War II has been the subject of countless books and movies, but few people have had the opportunity to hear what it was truly like from the men who fought in the trenches. On Friday, May 11 and Saturday, May 12, Fantasy of Flight presents part four of its 2012 Legends & Legacies Symposium Series, “D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy.”

For two days, WWII veterans who fought in Normandy, France on that historic day, June 6, 1944, will gather at Fantasy of Flight to share their personal stories of strength, survival and patriotism. The D-Day veterans will interact with guests in open forum/question-and-answer sessions, followed by meet-and-greet/autograph signing sessions. D-Day panelists include Major Clifford Kantz, Winter Park, Fla., Sgt. Harold Heil, Tampa, Fla., PFC Paul Rancicot, Winter Haven, Fla., Lt. Hope Kirkendall, Lakeland, Fla., and from Polk County, Fla. — Sgt. Teddy Fisk, Sgt. Bob Franklin and Sgt. Virgil Myers.

Throughout May, in celebration of National Military Appreciation Month, Fantasy of Flight will honor the brave individuals of the armed forces by extending free admission to all active-duty, retired and reserve military. Admission to the Legends & Legacies Symposium “D-Day: The Invasion of Normandy” May 11-12 is included in this special offer. Guests must present a current ID to qualify for the general admission ticket. This offer is not valid with any other offers or discounts.

As the D-Day Legends & Legacies Symposium takes place over Mother’s Day weekend, Fantasy of Flight… Continue reading →

Celebration Radio Show – April 25th

A Conversation with….

Local Author – Sherry Turner

Underneath the laws of physics, has always been the hidden work of quantum mechanics. And at work in the universe, underlying our physical world, has always been the invisible work of the living words of God. Invisible until now… Jesus is coming! This book encourages you to Wake Up! Click Here To Read More…Direct Download Show Here or check out iTunes

RESCUE TRAINING BEGINS TODAY FOR 150 NEWLY HIRED LIFEGUARDS

Training for the “most important job in the park” began today as newly minted lifeguards took to the wave pool at LEGOLAND^® Florida’s soon-to-open water park attraction.

Trainees practiced deep-water rescues, swimming drills and compact jumps from atop a lifeguard stand. All training was certified by the American Red Cross.

There was also time for a little horseplay, with trainees performing a synchronized “wave” in the pool and taking a spin on a LEGO^® Build-A-Raft

LEGOLAND Florida is hiring 250 new employees for the water park attraction, including 150 lifeguards. Including these new positions, LEGOLAND Florida has created 1,250 new jobs at the Central Florida attraction.

The new water park attraction is a “park within the park” and is part of the overall LEGOLAND Florida experience. Guests may access the water park with a $12 per-person upgrade (only $3 upgrade for children under 3) to a single-day ticket. Premium Pass holders receive unlimited seasonal access to the water park along with 12 months unlimited access to LEGOLAND Florida; Premium Passes are $179 for adults and $149 for child/senior for 12. Both Premium Passes and single day tickets may be purchased at www.LEGOLAND.com.

Universal – Florida residents offer

Universal Orlando Resort is unveiling an exclusive Florida residents offer, just in time for guests to experience the next round of new entertainment being created at Universal Orlando during 2012.

Universal Orlando’s new Third Day Free offer gives Florida residents a 2-day, 2-park ticket plus a third day free for only $99 – giving them more value and more time to enjoy everything Universal Orlando has to offer – including the newly re-launched, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man attraction. They will also be among the first to experience Universal’s Superstar Parade and Universal’s Cinematic Spectacular: 100 Years of Movie Memories.

Tickets must be purchased online by May 31 and used by June 30. For more information about Universal Orlando Resort’s Third Day Free offer, visit www.universalorlando.com.

Florida residents can also take advantage of a new special offer from Blue Man Group which will save them up to $35 off regular adult ticket prices. Child prices continue to start at $29. This offer is valid for all performances from April 16, 2012 through June 17, 2012. The newly re-launched Blue Man Group show combines new music, new technology and a new finale with their classic comedy and multimedia theatrics to produce a totally unique form of entertainment. For more information about Blue Man Group at Universal Orlando Resort – or to purchase tickets – visit www.universalorlando.com/blueman.

Celebration Radio Show April 9th

Juz and Al are joined in the studio this week by Gloria Niec and Michael Jackson… Promoting http://osceolaconnected.com/

Which is a coalition of organizations with one goal; to eradicate hunger in their own backyard. They are partnering with the non-profit, Feeding Children Everywhere, to package 250,000 meals for crisis food pantries in Osceola County on 5.5.12 and 5.6.12.

Listen Now: Download or check out iTunes

LEGOLAND Water Park

Less than two months until the LEGOLAND® Water Park opens on May 26, and the attraction is getting its middle name – water!

More than a half a million gallons of H20 were pumped into the LEGO® Wave Pool by a friend of the LEGO City Volunteer Fire Department

Workers paint the slides in the Water Park

Key areas of LEGOLAND Water Park attraction include:

LEGO Wave Pool – Families can catch a gentle wave or simply cool off in this perfectly sized wave pool where the waves are just big enough for all ages to enjoy

Twin Chasers – Friends ride tubes 375 feet down an intertwining pair of enclosed water slides before plunging into a refreshing pool below

Splash Out – The thrill seekers of the family can ascend to the tallest point of the water park attraction and choose from one of three unique slides, then speed down a 60-foot drop and “splash out” into the water below

Joker Soaker – A fun, interactive playground with various lengths, heights and types of slides that offer something different for every member of the family. Guests can wade in the surrounding pool and be surprised with a torrential spill from a 300-gallon bucket

Build-A-Raft River – Families can imagine, design and build a unique LEGO vessel and set afloat on a maiden voyage around the 1000-foot-long lazy river, set amongst playful LEGO Friends, flowering vegetation and palm trees DUPLO®

Splash Safari – Toddlers will rule at this water play… Continue reading →

Celebration Radio Show – March 18th

Welcome to the first “Celebration Radio Show – Inside and Out” for 2012

Each show Juz (outside) and Al (Inside) discuss what is happening in Celebration Florida.

A show for residents and vacationers alike

Download or check out iTunes

Check out our website www.celebrationradio.us

Is Fantasy of Flight a Favorite Haunt for Spirits?

For years visitors to Fantasy of Flight, Central Florida’s premier aviation attraction, believed the only specters of the past they’d encounter would be the collection of 40 fully-restored vintage aircraft, displays of a long-ago era of aviation.

But as stories of unexplained occurrences such as unidentifiable noises, temperature changes and the detection of mists and shadows drifted into the paranormal community, professional investigators (or “ghost hunters” to which they are more dramatically referred in popular media) took notice.

Apollo Paranormal Investigations (API), a non-profit investigative team based in Apollo, Florida, has conducted a series of scientific explorations and on a paranormal-activity scale between 1 and 10, they have rated Fantasy of Flight’s aircraft collection an “11.”

Based on their results, Fantasy of Flight has invited the general public to nightFlight, an exciting after-hours program that offers adventurous visitors four full hours to “Explore the Unexplained.”

Phase 1 and 2 of nightFlight netted a treasure trove of evidence and has focused the next phase of the investigation to seek out specific “high response” areas at Fantasy of Flight.

Welcome to nightFlight Phase 3:

Who are “Melissa” and the British spirit who urges us to stay in the Carrier Deck?
Are those long-gone Rosie the Riveters who whistle and call at the B-17?
What prompts the emotional vortex that repeats itself in the Officers Club?
What new data awaits our investigators during Phase 3?

Reservations are now open for the March 10 nightFlight investigations. Click here to make your reservation now.

Kermit Weeks