Florida Mall reopens revamped Disney Store

One of the most popular stores in Florida Mall is about to become even more of a tourist attraction, as the Disney Store reopened on August 24 with the latest high tech “immersive experiences” for customers, including a Disney Princess Castle with Magic Mirror, Translucent Magical Trees, Disney●Pixar CARS-branded Ridemakerz custom toy car building experience and the Disney Store Theatre.



Customers already know that the Disney Store is the “go-to” place for Disney-related products without making an actual trip to Disney World, and the newly-designed Disney Store location at Florida Mall has a bit more of a local feel to it, with a skyline bordering the store featuring local landmarks such as the Walt Disney World Resort, the fountain at Lake Eola Park in downtown Orlando and the natural beauty of the Florida Everglades.



Other new activities and attractions at the interactive “Mickey Mouskercize” and “Dance Like a Robot” clips, new Disney Channel original music videos and previews of the new Disney Muppets Movie trailer. By the end of 2011, the new concept Disney Stores will be in 16 major cities in North America and eight countries.

Travelers Guide to the Best of Orlando

You’ve just arrived in Orlando, Florida—so where do you go now? Plenty of visitors ride the shuttle bus directly to their Disney hotel, so they don’t even need to rent a car. Other travelers wish to explore the region a little more, and there are plenty of activities and attractions to choose from, depending on what you are looking for.



Clearly, theme parks are the main draw, and many local hotels provide complimentary scheduled shuttle service to Walt Disney World, Universal Studios/Islands of Adventure and Sea World/Discovery Cove/Aquatica. Be sure to find out ahead of time what the scheduled times are and exactly where you will be dropped off and picked up. Walt Disney World, for example, is a part big place, with theme parks located a few miles apart from each other. Staying on a Disney property will ensure that you can ample shuttle service from location to location if your intention is to stay near “the house of mouse” at all times.



For Orlando visitors who would like to enjoy some of Florida’s natural beauty, you are never more than two hours away from some of the best beaches in the state. Local residents frequently visit Cocoa Beach, New Smyrna Beach and Daytona Beach on the Atlantic coast, and if you are willing to drive just a little bit further to the Gulf of Mexico, Clearwater Beach just west of Tampa is a classic Florida beach town with a nightly Sunset Celebration for locals and visitors of all ages.



Whether you plan on spending all of your time in Orlando or taking a day trip to one of the beaches, you will never run out of things to do during your next Orlando vacation—there are endless possibilities in the area, especially for those who are willing to look beyond the theme parks.

I-RIDE Trolley on International Drive

With the I-RIDE Trolley service on Orlando’s International Drive, your car will never have to leave the hotel parking lot if you are planning to spend the day on International Drive. Visit shops, restaurants, movie theaters, and other attractions like Wet n Wild, Fun Spot, Wonderworks, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, Titanic: The Experience, Magical Midway and much more—all for a low price.

Riders can pay a $1.25 single fare (kids 12 and under are free with a paying adult and senior citizens only pay $.25) and each I-RIDE Trolley seats 41 riders, 54 total capacity, including two wheelchair positions and an ADA-specified hydraulic lift system. Remember to bring exact change to ride the trolley. Unlimited ride passes are also available in one day, three day, five day, seven day and fourteen day increments and are sold at over 100 locations within the International Drive Resort Area.

Operating daily from 8:00 a.m. until 10:30 p.m., I-RIDE Trolleys travel throughout the International Drive Resort Area. The Red Line Trolley route services International Drive both north and south bound, and arrive approximately every 20 minutes. The Green Line Trolley route services the Major Boulevard business district, travels along Universal Boulevard and then shadows the Red Line Trolley Route on South International Drive. Green Line trolleys arrive approximately every 30 minutes. There are many hotels to choose from International Drive hotels

For more information and a map of trolley stops, visit the Official I-RIDE Trolley website at www.iridetrolley.com.

Wear your life jacket for safe summer boating fun

From the Sunshine State’s lakes, the Intracoastal Waterway, and the high seas, Floridians love to go boating, and this summer the North American Safe Boating Campaign administered by the U.S. Coast Guard wants everyone to enjoy safe boating by always wearing their life jackets. Visit SafeBoatingCampaign.com for more information, and take the following pledge to “Wear it!” every time you go out on the water.

I pledge to boat safely each and every time I go out on the water, keeping myself, my family, my friends and fellow boaters from harm's way. I will always boat responsibly by:

• Wearing my life jacket and ensuring that everyone on board wears their life jacket (when in a small boat, or operating in rough water or threatening weather conditions)


• Remaining sober and alert - remembering that the use of alcohol contributes to accidents on the water


• Staying in control of my craft and respecting the right of others enjoying the waterways


• Knowing and obeying navigation rules, operating at a safe speed and maintaining a proper lookout

Last year, Florida had the most boating deaths of any state in the country. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, nearly 90% of those drowning in boating related accidents were not wearing life jackets. Take the pledge to Wear It, and go online to SafeBoatingCampaign.com to enter your safe boating story for the chance to win a summer fun package including a life jacket, beach towel and Flip Mini HD camcorder.