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Four weeks from tonight, the Universal Orlando Resort will be premiering the 20th anniversary edition of Halloween Horror Nights . "And just what should we expect as HHN reaches this special headstone ... er ... milestone?," you ask. Well, to hear show director Mike Aiello talk, the 20th anniversary...

It's the last week of July here in Central Florida. So - what a surprise - it's hot outside. If you're looking to beat the heat during your next Orlando vacation, might I suggest that you employ a little psychology? As in: It might seem cooler outside if you deliberately went to part of a...

Denny P. dropped me a line on Saturday to ask: Did you see Jason Garcia’s story in the Sentinel yesterday about the Wizarding World of Harry Potter ? As a Disney fan, this sounds like complete hype to me. But what do you think? Is this Islands of Adventure addition really going to be a game changer for...

With just hours to spare ‘til 2009 gives way to 2010, I thought that it might be interesting to review the year from the Orlando Fun Tickets point-of-view. 2009 got off to a pretty fast start with tens of thousands of runners pouring into the area January 8 – 11th to take part in the Walt Disney World...

Still working your way through the last of the Halloween candy, eh? Well, before we all totally transition away from trick-or-treating to Turkey Time, I’ll share a Halloween Horror Night-related story that you may have missed. Copyright 2009 Universal Orlando. All Rights Reserved Do you recall the theme...

Did you ever wonder what it might be like to be one of those scare-actors at Universal Studios Florida ? You know, one of those guys who comes lurching out of the shadows on Halloween Horror Nights and then frightens some poor unsuspecting tourist? Well, this past week, the nice folks who work in Public...

There are all sorts of rituals associated with the opening of a brand-new show. Take – for example – how veteran performers will wish each other well on opening night. They never say “Good Luck” or “Have a good show.” They always say “Break a leg.” Well, the Universal Orlando Resort has its own rituals...

How's this for a twist on social media? Universal Orlando has just set up a Facebook fan page for Halloween Horror Nights . Which is this seasonal USF event that typically features tons of performers who look as though they've just had their faces ripped off. If you can get past that grisly irony, then...

This year, there are lots of places around the country where you can go to see Fourth of July fireworks. The bank of the Charles River in Boston, South Street Seaport in NYC as well as the National Mall in my hometown of Washington DC. But what if you’re one of those “too much ain’t enough” types and...

For most of us, advance planning means that – a whole week ahead of time – you know what you’ll be doing over the upcoming Fourth of July weekend. Michael Roddy (he's the one on the right), Director of Show Development for the Universal Orlando Resort. Photo courtesy of Gregory Nicotero Whereas Michael...

As far as Universal Studios Hollywood is considered, this was the Summer of the Simpsons. " The Simpsons Ride ," to be exact. Photo by Shelly Smith But now Autumn's on its way. Which typically means that this is the start of the slow season for Southern California's theme parks. A time when you push...

As you enter SeaWorld Orlando , it's really hard to miss the thing. Photo by Robert Bish That enormous construction wall that's been erected around the front of this theme park. Photo by Robert Bish Not to mention the rumble of heavy equipment, as that behind-the-scenes construction team clears brush...

For almost 18 years now, " Earthquake -- The Big One " had been entertaining guests at Universal Studios Florida . But as 2008 approached, the folks at Universal Creative felt that they needed to shake things up. Completely reimagine this still-popular-but-obviously-aging theme park attraction. So the...

It's perhaps the most eagerly anticipated addition to Orlando's assortment of rides, shows and attractions in more than a decade: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter , which is slated to open at Universal Studios' Islands of Adventure in 2009 Copyright 2007 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved And...

What's in a name? Well, as Universal learned the hard way back in 1998, when it decided to rename its recently expanded resort " '>Universal Studios Escape " and thus confused hundreds of thousands of tourists ... Sometimes picking the wrong name for your theme park and/or resort can prove to be disastrous...