Orlando Attractions Area News & Developments

[spenser1058]

Both George Aguel, head of Visit Orlando and Rich Maladecki, CEO of Central Florida Hotel & Lodging Association, are retiring.

It’s time - just another case of Orlando-itis, staying long and not realizing a new paradigm is required after COVID passes.

First, it’s time for total transparency for any tourism operations that benefit from taxpayer largesse. Our tourism industry is not some fiefdom we need to bow down to.

Next, although it’s not up to these organizations to determine what private corporations choose to invest in, it is time to stop demanding that the white elephant of Orange County, the OCCC, be the recipient of both TDT funds and the focus of Orange County economic activity.

We are in an endless arms race with two other cities to keep adding more and more additions to the huge building, even as the number of days the facility is in use declines. Interestingly, the two cities we’re competing with, Las Vegas and Chicago are a mess.

The facility is still there, but as the convention business likely declines in the era of Zoom, most of our larger hotels already have convention facilities that can accommodate all but the largest meetings.

Continuing to expand the county’s Taj Mahal of tourism sends exactly the wrong signal not only to our citizens but also to business leaders in other fields who have long believed Orlando is nothing but Vegas without gambling.

Both extraordinary circumstances and the natural passage of time have led us to a natural transition point of what path we want Orange County to pursue moving forward. It’s important to recognize the path we’ve been following isn’t necessarily the best one to take to improve our future.

Tourism is important to us, but it’s not all we are. It was mostly an accident that came about because a beloved entrepreneur died and his company was unsure how to proceed with the idea that brought him here in the first place.

Ironically, the idea was to use the original concept of EPCOT to showcase the area’s burgeoning high-tech prowess, not to become the next Anaheim or Las Vegas.

Now is the time to move beyond that 50-year detour and proceed. We’ve certainly switched gears before. Notice our county’s name is Orange, not Heads In Beds. Today, there’s hardly an orange grove left here and precious few people noticed the transition from one industry to another.

There are also that were certain Orlando losing two major military bases would doom us. Now, the average Orlandoan is unaware they existed and that they were a significant part of the local economy.

It’s time to do it again, but this time what happens shouldn’t be an accident but the logical outgrowth of the region’s strengths. To be clear, tourism has a role in our future - we just can’t allow it to swallow us whole.

Also remember that the tourism juggernaut primarily affects only portion of two counties in our region - SW Orange and West Osceola. Other counties like Seminole, Polk and Brevard are doing well in other ways. We can, too.

 

 

Edited August 21, 2020 by spenser1058

[shardoon]

Looks like Unicorp started clearing for land for Otown West. Strangely enough, they cleared the area for the boardwalk about 6 months ago and then stopped. Now they restarted across the street. 

[aent]

4 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Next, although it’s not up to these organizations to determine what private corporations choose to invest in, it is time to stop demanding that the white elephant of Orange County, the OCCC, be the recipient of both TDT funds and the focus of Orange County economic activity.

 

The part you repeatedly are missing is the convention center and tourism provide a strong basis for these other industries. and provide an advantage to Orlando over other cities. Its important to keep the  convention and tourism industry as strong as it can be here in Orlando to allow us to exercise that strength to attract other industries.

Infact, while I was at UCF, I got a job for a simulation company in UCF's Research Park. While I was there, when the owners came into town and I had a meeting with them, one of the things I spoke to them about was why they were in Orlando (and other locations they were in) and the entire reason for the Orlando office and the dozen high paying jobs was the convention center. It was fairly complicated to setup the simulators, so they wanted a local team to be able to handle it, and some of the things we wanted to show clients (or military officials) were too difficult to set up at a convention, so having a permanent office in Orlando made it easy for them to bring people over to show them our development process and products. I asked other simulation companies that we were partnered with the reason they were in Orlando... and the same answer.

Infact, before I left that job, they had to move due to an issue with the lease in the building we were in, and as we were their smallest office and the 2 managers quit, they were trying to decide whether to even keep the Orlando office, but they decided due to the convention center they still needed it.

And the more tourists we get through Orlando, the more destinations we get, and the more convenient flight choices we get as well. And of course the more direct and busier airport we have allows its own set of industry to enter the market as well. We've seen that with multiple companies citing that as the reason for choosing Orlando, such as KPMG, and Amazon made that real clear it was super important to them as well when choosing their 2nd (and 3rd) "HQ" locations.

Regardless, the OCCC is a net money maker for the county, by far.... if we redirect the funds away from it, and lose conventions, we won't have those funds at all to spend on anything else anyways, since obviously Vegas and Chicago aren't going to stop.

OCCC expansion is far from all of the TDT funds... plenty of other areas to cut and redirect funds out of that tax. I agree with you that money can and should be spent better, and not necessarily all in the "tourist" (not that our sports stadiums/performing arts center are really attracting tourists). I do think the TDT funds should be directed towards solving the areas transportation issues (which again is helpful to tourists, as well as locals).

[spenser1058]

More info on the George Aguel departure. While local tourism was plummeting, Visit Orlando CEO George Aguel was helping himself to a padded salary paid for with tax dollars badly needed elsewhere.

This is an industry that’s led us down the garden path for too long.

https://www.wesh.com/article/visit-orlando-ceo-resigns/33671227
 

From WESH

[spenser1058]

Caribe Royale announces $125 million renovation and expansion project.

Significantly, they will add 50000sf to their convention space.

https://www.orlandoweekly.com/Blogs/archives/2020/08/25/caribe-royale-orlando-announces-phased-125-million-renovation-project
 

From Orlando Weekly

[spenser1058]

A rhetorical question - had Walt not died in 1966 and Disney’s Florida property had been used to build the actual city of EPCOT as a showcase of American technology instead of four theme parks (and the main airport for the region would have been Disney’s instead of MCO), how would Central Florida have been different?

 

[AndyPok1]

On 8/17/2020 at 11:25 AM, spenser1058 said:

This will be different: Lennar Homes pulling permits for mixed-use development including single-family residential at north end of I-Drive:

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2020/08/14/lennar-corp-seeks-new-permits-for-i-drive-project.html

From OBJ

Other I-Drive projects also mentioned.

This is interesting.  In the past 5 years, I think this makes a ton of sense.  There's a need of upscale living near the Kirkman corridor.  Between Universal, Disney (the reservation center and lots of IT are there), Lockheed, Golf Channel, etc, there's a LOT of office jobs right there.  I'm sure lots of people would move there from the UCF/Davenport/Ocoee areas to have short commutes.

BUTTTT... Covid.  Office jobs aren't really, well, going in the office.  Seems a risky bet that everything returns to normal by the time they're ready to occupy/sell.

[spenser1058]

Construction update on the newest tower at the Walt Disney World Swan:

https://wdwnt.com/2020/08/photos-the-cove-hotel-construction-swims-along-at-walt-disney-world/
 

From WDW News Today

[spenser1058]

Icon Park Slingshot ant drop tower rides to break ground in early 2021:

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2020/08/28/i-drive-slingshot-drop-tower-attractions-orlando.html

From OBJ (paywall)

[spenser1058]

COVID may save us from the region’s greatest boondoggle:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-ne-orange-county-stops-convention-center-expansion-20200831-5ypedf2uezhvtlpxd5cvy2qqgu-story.html
 

From the Sentinel 

Edited August 31, 2020 by spenser1058

[aent]

Great news according to spenser! And bad news for everyone else. Another 2 major conventions cancelled their shows this year, bringing the lost economic impact to $1.22 billion so far. We lost IT/SEC (simulation) and IAAPA (amusement parks). International Builders Show is, at this point, still on, for beginning of next year, which is among our largest conventions. I got my tickets and hope to be supporting it again soon!

 

 

 https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2020/09/04/iaapa-is-the-latest-central-florida-convention-to.html?ana=RSS&s=article_search&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+bizj_orlando+(Orlando+Business+Journal)

[jrs2]

On 8/31/2020 at 2:45 PM, spenser1058 said:

COVID may save us from the region’s greatest boondoggle:

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os-ne-orange-county-stops-convention-center-expansion-20200831-5ypedf2uezhvtlpxd5cvy2qqgu-story.html
 

From the Sentinel 

Yes, I'm still alive.

We need those improvements because, right now, Chicago and Vegas are poised to overtake Orlando with the improvements they've made with their centers and with the private investment surrounding those centers.

[spenser1058]

TRON construction photos at MK and WDW attraction update:

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202009/7719/
 

From Theme Park Insider 

[AmIReal]

Ruh-Roh...

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/tourism/os-bz-universal-warn-20200916-sfil6kjh6zckvdiuakxhnx5imq-story.html

"Universal Orlando has alerted the state that 5,400 furloughed employees won’t be back to work anytime soon as the recovery from the coronavirus pandemic is expected to stretch in 2021."

"did not expect the furloughs to be permanent for the 5,389 Universal employees across multiple departments. He noted the furloughs are until “further notice.”"

"At 15.3%, Orlando’s unemployment rate was the highest in the state in July."

[spenser1058]

Aerial photos of construction progress on the new EPCOT fountain between Spaceship Earth and the park’s Main Entrance:

https://wdwnt.com/2020/09/photos-new-aerials-reveal-epcot-entrance-fountain-progress/
 

From WDW News Today 

[spenser1058]

The long anticipated walkway from the Magic Kingdom to the Grand Floridian Resort appears to be almost complete including the swing arm bridge that crosses the canal which connects the Seven Seas Lagoon with the Rivers of America (and has traditionally been the parking spot for the Electrical Water Pageant barges):

https://wdwnt.com/2020/09/photos-walkway-between-disneys-grand-floridian-spa-and-the-magic-kingdom-nearly-ready-for-pedestrians/
 

From WDW News Today 

[codypet]

Did they yank out all those souvenir bricks everyone got bent out of shape about?

[spenser1058]

5 minutes ago, codypet said:

Did they yank out all those souvenir bricks everyone got bent out of shape about?

Yeppers.

[codypet]

2 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Yeppers.

https://tenor.com/bafF5.gif

[spenser1058]

Just as Disney’s Contemporary Resort did several years ago, the Mouse has decided to make the front entrance to its Polynesian Village more attractive and approachable.

Whether the nondescript arrival areas were some vestige of 1960’s car culture or severe overbudget problems by US Steel ( the original owners of the hotels), the entrance to the resorts for auto and bus passengers were just meh.

 Glad  to see the rethink.

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202009/7743/
 

From Theme Park Insider

[smileguy]

17 hours ago, spenser1058 said:

Just as Disney’s Contemporary Resort did several years ago, the Mouse has decided to make the front entrance to its Polynesian Village more attractive and approachable.

Whether the nondescript arrival areas were some vestige of 1960’s car culture or severe overbudget problems by US Steel ( the original owners of the hotels), the entrance to the resorts for auto and bus passengers were just meh.

 Glad  to see the rethink.

https://www.themeparkinsider.com/flume/202009/7743/
 

From Theme Park Insider

Now I am no theme park guy (crowds, heat, children... not a huge fan). I've never been drinking around the world at Epcot and thought that might be a fun way to spend my upcoming birthday since there should be fewer people. I was shocked to discover that even in this environment for park tickets and a night at a hotel for me and the hubby, it would be about $600.  Sounds like we'll invest in a few nice bottles and be drinking around the world from our backyard.

[orlandoguy]

Now I am no theme park guy (crowds, heat, children... not a huge fan).

A man after my own heart.

[jack]

On 9/25/2020 at 1:37 PM, smileguy said:

Now I am no theme park guy (crowds, heat, children... not a huge fan). I've never been drinking around the world at Epcot and thought that might be a fun way to spend my upcoming birthday since there should be fewer people. I was shocked to discover that even in this environment for park tickets and a night at a hotel for me and the hubby, it would be about $600.  Sounds like we'll invest in a few nice bottles and be drinking around the world from our backyard.

That seems high. The hotel should be lower than $350 a night all in. I stayed on property in August and saved roughly $150 a night compared to the year before. 

I haven't done a full drinking around the world but have come close unintentionally. It adds up ($$$) quickly. 

[smileguy]

9 minutes ago, jack said:

That seems high. The hotel should be lower than $350 a night all in. I stayed on property in August and saved roughly $150 a night compared to the year before. 

I haven't done a full drinking around the world but have come close unintentionally. It adds up ($$$) quickly. 

Hotel was $375 and wasn't the least expensive option. Park tickets came to just shy of $290 with tax for a pair of single-day tickets on the date we were looking at. 

[spenser1058]

Four hotel/suite properties underway at Flamingo Crossings on the west side of WDW along The Webster (FL 429):

https://www.bizjournals.com/orlando/news/2020/10/05/winter-park-construction-flamingo-crossings.html

From OBJ