2008 Florida Highlights

Visitor numbers for Florida seem to have picked up again and despite a reduction in overseas visitors and a big rise in gas (petrol) prices, numbers overall are up.

For the last two years, the weather was generally kinder than forecast, so people who might have been put off by hurricanes are starting to come again.

Either way, Florida has a lot to offer and on this page you will find some of the new happenings planned for Florida in 2008.

For Florida highlights last year in 2007, click here.

New rides and attractions

The advent of 2008 sees the opening of a brand new waterpark, Aquatica by SeaWorld and there are also a number of new rides, shows and attractions that are due to open during 2008, including:

NASA missions

NASA had planned to launch five space shuttle missions to the International Space Station in 2007 but a combination of a fluke hail storm and faulty components meant that only three missions were flown in the end. This puts even more pressure on NASA to complete the International Space Station before the shuttle fleet is retired in 2010.

NASA hope to launch five shuttles in 2008 in January, February, April, August and September. The first launch is of the Space Shuttle Atlantis (STS-122) no earlier than January 10, which will deliver the Columbus European Laboratory Module to the International Space Station.

Hurricanes and the Florida weather

Before 2007 had even ended, the team from the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University led by Professor William Gray have released their first predictions for the 2008 hurricane season and again they are predicting above average activity.

They are forecasting 13 named storms, seven of them hurricanes and three of those being classified as major hurricanes (category 3 and above) with sustained wind speeds of 111 mph or greater.

Looking further ahead

Universal Studios announced in 2007 that they had signed a deal with Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. to bring Harry Potter to Universal. A new theme park within a theme park called "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" will open inside Universal's Islands of Adventure some time in late 2009/early 2010.

Ron Jons had announced plans to build a water park and resort on the Banana River at Port Canaveral near their enormous surf shop at Cocoa Beach and it was expected to open in 2010 but plans appear to have been dropped.

To read about Florida highlights for other years, just follow the links to 2009, 2007 or 2006.