In This Issue Welcome Looking ahead to 2006 Rocket launches in early 2006 Frommer's Florida 2006 Book review New water park at SeaWorld January events Weather forecast

Hi subscriber, welcome to the January newsletter of the Florida Review & Travel Guide.

Firstly I'd like to wish everyone a very happy New Year and hope you enjoyed the festivities over the last few weeks.

Hopefully we will be able to help with your travel planning in 2006 and in this first bumper issue of the New Year we have details of the continued growth and popularity of Florida as a holiday destination, some of the upcoming new attractions, possible ticket price rises, a brand new theme park, rocket launches planned for January/February and much more...

As 2005 draws to a close it is interesting to look at some of the statistics surrounding Florida. The recently published Census Bureau state population estimates show that Florida is the fourth fastest growing state with a 2.3% growth in 2005, mostly due to a migration of residents from elsewhere. Florida is also the fourth most populous state with an estimated 17.8 million residents.

Florida visitor numbers

Florida continues to be one of the top destinations for holidaymakers despite the recent battering from hurricanes (four hurricanes in 2004 and four more in 2005). In 2004 there were an estimated 79.7 million visitors to Florida and the 2005 figures are expected to exceed 80 million with a 3.2% increase forecast for 2006.

Hurricanes are probably the single biggest factor in tourism and there is a shift away from the worst months of August through October to other times of the year. Another big factor is the cost of gasoline though prices have now dropped back from nearly $3 a gallon to around $2.24 per gallon.

Florida theme park rankings

These visitor figures are backed up by the 2005 theme park visitor numbers which have recently been published by Amusement Business and the research firm Economics Research Associates and yet again Florida tops the tables with seven out of the top 10 US theme parks being in Florida and once again Disney take the top five slots.

To read more about Florida's top theme parks and where they are in the rankings, click here.

2006 ticket prices

2006 may also see an increase in the cost of theme park tickets following the large increases announced in December 2004. SeaWorld and Busch Gardens have already announced a $2 increase in the cost of a one day park admission (a 3.7 percent increase) though they are sweetening the deal by allowing you to exchange the ticket for a pass which then allows unlimited visits over the next six consecutive days. Over at Discovery Cove, prices have risen by $20 but this now includes all snacks, beverages, breakfast and lunch.

Disney and Universal are yet to make any announcements regarding their ticket prices.

To read more about the latest theme park ticket prices and options, click here.

2006 hotel rates

It is also likely that hotel prices will rise and Disney have published their 2006 rates for all their properties at Walt Disney World, with rises of between 2.5% and 4% depending upon type of property and season.

To read more about the Walt Disney World Resort, click here.

New attractions

Over at Disney's Animal Kingdom, the finishing touches are being applied to the new Expedition Everest - Legend of the Forbidden Mountain high-speed roller coaster train ride which tells the story of the yeti (abominable snowman).

It features an 80 foot drop and speeds of 50mph and is described as a family coaster; probably sitting somewhere between Magic Kingdom's Space Mountain and Disney-MGM Studios Rock 'n' Roller Coaster in terms of out and out thrills, with a ride height of 44 inches. It is expected that preview rides will be begin in late January with the official opening in April.

The other main news is that work will start on the new yet-to-be-named water park at SeaWorld, read more about this story below.

There could be several rockets launched in January/February, all from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station so if you are over at the Kennedy Space Center on the East Coast you may just get to see a launch.

Pluto New Horizons

On January 17, there is a possible launch of a Lockheed Martin Atlas 5 to send NASA's Pluto New Horizons spacecraft (Pluto-Kuiper Belt Mission) to Pluto, the most distant planet in our solar system on the "The First Mission to the Last Planet". The launch will take place early afternoon from pad SLC-41 and tickets are on sale now.

NAVSTAR Global Positioning System

Then on January 26 there is a possible launch of a Boeing Delta 2 rocket from pad SLC-17 to launch the second modernised NAVSTAR Global Positioning System Block 2R military navigation satellite.

GOES N and MITEX

In February, there are two further launches planned on the 6th and 27th.

To read more about how to buy tickets and where else to watch rocket and shuttle launches, click here.

Space shuttle Discovery, STS121

NASA are also stating that the next shuttle launch could still be in early May though I suspect this will slip as they are still working on solutions to the problems with the foam insulation on the external fuel tank.

Frommer's Florida 2006 (Frommer's Complete), ISBN 0764588265 is published by Frommer's (September 2005).

Frommer's Florida is updated each year and offers candid views on the best sightseeing, restaurants, clubs, beaches, outdoor activities, hotels and more throughout the whole of Florida. The accommodation reviews cater for all budgets, everything from lavish golf resorts to spas, stunning B&B, beachfront motels and family-friendly condos.

One very good feature of Frommer's Florida is their 'best of' section covering the best beaches, snorkelling and diving, small towns, golf courses, romantic hideaways, family attractions, fishing, spas, luxury resorts, moderately priced accommodations, seafood restaurants, local dining experiences and best bars and nightspots.

As well as the usual region by region coverage, there are also sections on Baseball Spring training, airfare bargains and package deals, shopping, sightseeing cruises, nature preserves, parks and gardens as well as the Central region theme parks including Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, SeaWorld and the Kennedy Space Center.

To read more about Florida book reviews and details of where you can buy this book, click here.

In June 2005, SeaWorld Orlando announced that they were planning a third park in Orlando and in August 2005 the plans were approved by Orange County.

The as yet un-named new park was originally scheduled to open in the summer of 2007 but this has now been pushed back to March 2008. Construction is expected to start in early 2006.

It will be about one third the size of the original SeaWorld water theme park and about twice the size of Discovery Cove with visitor numbers expected to be limited to around 7,500 people.

The new water park is described by SeaWorld as being "naturalistic" and as well as featuring water slides, lagoons and beaches, will also have attractions that bring the guests into close proximity with dolphins and other marine animals; a "total immersion in the sea".

One of the signature attractions of the new park is a very special water slide. As the artists illustration above shows, it consists of a pair of clear acrylic tubes that swimsuit clad guests will slide down through a pool inhabited by black and white Commerson's dolphins.

To read more about the new SeaWorld water park, click here.

One or two of the holiday season celebrations continue to run on for about a week into January (more details in last months newsletter).

Running from December 15, 2005 to April 23, 2006 is the Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs exhibition in Fort Lauderdale in conjunction with National Geographic and the Egyptian Supreme Council of Antiquities (kingtut.org/ftlauderdale for more details).

The exhibit includes 50 major artefacts excavated from Tutankhamun's tomb, including his royal diadem (the gold crown discovered encircling the head of the king's mummified body that he likely wore while living and one of the gold and inlaid canopic coffinettes that contained his mummified internal organs). There are also more than 70 artefacts from other royal graves of the 18th dynasty (1555BC-1305BC).

Also in Fort Lauderdale is the 18th Annual Las Olas Art Fair on January 7-8 (www.artfestival.com for more details of this and many other art and craft shows throughout Florida). Two hundred of the nation's most talented artists will exhibit their works along the Mizner Boulevard.

As a result of Hurricane Wilma, the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo 2005 has been moved to January 12-15 at Sebring Regional Airport. The event focuses on aircraft operating under the new FAA rule concerning Light Sport Aircraft, Sport Pilot and related certifications and includes fixed wing, trikes, powered parachutes and gyroplanes (www.sport-aviation-expo.com for more details).

The annual South Florida Fair runs for 17 days from January 13-29 at the South Florida Fairgrounds at West Palm Beach (www.southfloridafair.com for more details). Amongst the exhibits are historical exhibits on the origins of some of the US's favourite sports, sports trivia contests for fans of all ages, the Yesteryear Village, the Great American Craft Show, Agricultural and Livestock exhibits and the fabulous Wade Shows Carnival Midway.

In Tampa on January 21 is the start of the Gasparilla Extravaganza. This is an alcohol-free, family event featuring the Children's Gasparilla Parade which marches along Bayshore Boulevard ending in the Gasparilla "Piratechnic" Extravaganza which depicts an imaginary sea battle between the pirates of Ye Mystic Krewe of Gasparilla and the City of Tampa. The Gasparilla Invasion and Parade of Pirates then takes place a week later on January 28 (www.GasparillaExtravaganza.com for more details).

From January 26 to February 5 its the Florida Citrus Festival in Winter Haven which has been running since 1924. This event showcases the Florida Citrus Industry and State of Florida agriculture, offering fairgoers fun and history including the Citrus Museum, competitions and fantastic rides. (citrusfestival.com for more details).

At the Doc Demilly Rodeo Arena, Harris Field, Homestead, the 57th Annual Homestead Championship Rodeo runs from January 27-29 featuring bull riding, saddle-bronc riding, bareback-bronc riding, calf roping, team roping, steer wrestling, and women's barrel racing (www.homesteadrodeo.com for more details).

Despite the hurricane season officially finishing at the end of November, 2005 continues to break all records with another hurricane (Hurricane Epsilon) and a tropical storm on the very last day of the year. Luckily they stayed in mid Atlantic and caused no damage.

In the North you can expect daytime highs in the high 50s/low 60s with night-time temperatures in the high 30s/low 40s. As you move towards the Central region daytime temperatures are in the high 60s/low 70s and in the South it can be as hot as the mid to high 70s.

Temperatures are expected to be a little lower than normal during January with the possibility of a freeze in the North some nights.

The month is expected to start sunny but then cooling quickly with showers towards the middle of the month in the North and then sunny/rainy periods towards the end of the month.

To check out the rest of the Florida weather including monthly temperature and rainfall charts across the State and the latest hurricane news, click here.

Once again, wishing you a Happy New Year, until next month... Stephen Downs

We plan to bring you a newsletter on the first day of each month with details of upcoming events and news from across Florida.

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