July 2009 Newsletter

Hi subscriber, welcome to the July 2009 newsletter of the Florida Review & Travel Guide.

First Halloween Dates

Both Busch Gardens and Universal Studios have announced the dates of their Halloween events, probably some of the scariest Halloween events you are likely to encounter in Florida.

Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights 19 run on selected dates between September 25 and October 31 and this year include Saw, Chucky and The Wolfman. Actual event dates are September 25, 26, October 1 to 4, 8 to 11, 15 to 18, 21 to 25 and 28 to 31.

At Busch Gardens, their Howl-O-Scream event also runs on selected dates between September 25 and October 31. The preview is on September 25 and 26 and then every Thursday, Friday and Saturday in October.

Kennedy Space Center Launch Pad Upgrades

NASA have commenced work on altering launch pad 39B, the second shuttle launch pad to accommodate the new Aries rockets that will replace the space shuttle after they retire next year.

First test launch of an Aries rocket is scheduled for late August this year.

Florida Residents Summer Offers

As well as Gatorland (see below), Fantasy of Flight is also offering reduced admission charges for Florida Residents with $8 off their adult admission price through to July 31.

Right now SeaWorld are offering Florida Residents a free ticket to Busch Gardens or Aquatica when they buy a regular one day admission to SeaWorld online. The second visit must be by December 31 and this offer cannot be combined with any other offers such as the all year Fun Card.

DIANA-The People's Princess

The former Virgin Megastore at Downtown Disney will become the temporary home of an exhibit to commemorate Princess Diana and is presented by The People's Princess Charitable Foundation, Inc.

It will feature one of the largest collections of royal dresses and rare artifacts from the late Princess Diana.

Tickets will be $14.50 (adults) and $5.00 (children ages 3-9). Opening hours are 11 am to 11 pm daily and the exhibition will run from early July to November 30.

Follow Us on Twitter

For those of you who use Twitter, you can now follow the latest news from Florida as it happens with us on Twitter, right here. Over the coming months we intend to rationalise our use of Twitter and RSS feeds to provide a single source of news updates.

Latest Hotel Deals

We are now subscribing to BookingWiz to give you the latest Florida deals each month.

HOTELS ( Showing 10 of 200 deals ) ... Click to VIEW ALL DEALS

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Orlando Hotel Deal: Orlando Blue Tree Resort Near Maingate from $75/Nt* .... RoomValues.com
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Orlando Hotel Deal: The Hotel Universal - Fun and Excitement from $56/Nt* .... RoomValues.com
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Orlando Hotels on Sale Now: Family Fun and Excitement from $39/Nt.* .... RoomValues.com
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Pay less for more vacation. Rent a vacation home at HomeAway.com .... HomeAway
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South Beach Hotels On Sale: Book Now for Hot Savings from $41/Nt.* .... RoomValues.com
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The Hotel Universal Near Universal Studios/Wet n' Wild .... RoomValues.com
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$100: 3-star Tampa hotel + Rate includes breakfast, Jul 18 to Jul 19 .... Orbitz
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$104: 3-star Miami hotel + 48 hour Sale! 40% off Monday-Thursday, Jul 20 to Jul 21 .... Orbitz
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Gasoline Prices

Average pump prices in Orlando have jumped another 30 cents in the last month to around $2.65 a gallon for regular. However, many analysts are now predicting that prices have peaked this Summer and will no longer continue to rise to around $3 a gallon as earlier thought.

You can always find the latest pump prices at GasPriceWatch.com.

TravelZoo Weekly Newsletter

Have you heard of the TravelZoo weekly top 20 deals newsletter? By signing up to their free newsletter, you receive their top 20 holiday deals each and every week with cheap flights, cruises and ferries, rail tickets, car hire, hotels and villas, tours and packages and last minute deals.

Each week, TravelZoo sift through 1000s of internet offers to bring you the best deals, no matter where you live.

$299 -- Weeklong Stay at Orlando Resort Near Disney-- As seen on Travelzoo's Top 20

Florida Books published in July

More new street maps are published this month plus a number of 2010 calendars:

• Gardening in Florida: 2010 Wall Calendar
• The Florida State Seminoles Trivia Challenge
• Florida, Wild & Scenic 2010 Deluxe Wall
• Florida Nature 2010 Square Wall
• Florida Places 2010 Square Wall
• Florida 2010 Mini Wall
• Rand Mcnally Tallahassee
• Rand Mcnally Pensacola
• Landmark Visitors Guide Orlando & Central Florida
• Pensacola FL Atlas
• Florida Forever 2010: Conservation Photography Calendar
• Orlando Magic by Mark Stewart
• Historic Photos of University of Florida Football by Dr. Kevin McCarthy
• A Band in Every School: Portraits of Historically Black School Bands in Florida by Dale A. Thomas

All these books and more can be found in our new Florida book directories for US and UK visitors.

The combination of year round good weather, warm and clear waters makes Florida an ideal destination for recreational and sports wreck diving.

For example, the average water temperature around the Florida Keys in 77 degrees F. Depending on the time of year, you can dive in anything from skin to a 7mm fullsuit. Visibility can be anything from 10 to 100 feet.

Wrecks also attract a lot of fish so they make great fishing sites but check whether fishing is allowed and always respect divers in the water.

As well as numerous ships, both large and small, which have come to grief around Florida's coastline over the centuries, in recent years a number of ships including some very large US Navy vessels have been deliberately sunk to provide artificial reefs and recreational wreck diving sites. In fact, Florida currently boasts the world's three largest artificial reefs.

In addition to these recent deliberate sinkings, there are many other wrecks off the Florida coast from fabled Spanish treasure galleons and a German U boat to more mundane modern day cargo ships and pleasure craft.

You will also find abandoned oil platforms, US Army tanks, various military aircraft and a Boeing 727 commercial airliner.

With so many wrecks, there are sites to suit all abilities from shallow snorkelling to serious 300 foot dives for the very experienced.

For more information on wreck diving in Florida, click here.

Captain Jack Sparrow is looking for pirates to join the crew of the Black Pearl and the Pirates League premiered in Adventureland at Magic Kingdom on June 29 and is open to all ages (3 and up).

The idea is that you get to dress up as a pirate with beards, eye patches, scarves, scars, earrings and gold teeth before venturing out into Adventureland in search of treasures.

First off, you receive your official pirate's name before heading to the Muster Station where the Pirate Masters transform you into a pirate. You then enter the Secret Room where your Pirate Portrait is taken and you are given a map case folder and you start your treasure hunt in Adventureland.

There are three different packages available and prices range from $49.95 plus tax to $124.95 plus tax. With the cheaper packages, you also have the option of buying a pirate costume.

With each package you get a sword and sheath, earring and eye patch, tattoo, exclusive pirate coin necklace, map case folder and a personalised pirate oath.

The First Mate Package for boys/men costs $49.95 (plus tax) and includes a reversible bandana, choice of facial effects (cursed pirate, Captain Hook or Captain Jack, fake teeth and one 5x7 inch photograph.

The Empress Package for girls/women also costs $49.95 (plus tax) and includes a reversible bandana, vibrant and bold makeup makeover, face gem, nail polish and one 5x7 inch photograph.

The premier Captains Package costs $124.95 (plus tax) and includes a choice of pirate costume, choice of facial effects (cursed pirate, Captain Hook or Captain Jack), fake teeth and three 5x7 inch photographs.

Normal theme park admission is required and it is open from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm daily. Duration is 30 to 60 minutes.

For more information on Disney's Magic Kingdom, click here.

Walt Disney World Resort & Orlando is published by Dorling Kindersley (June 2009) and is part of their Eyewitness Travel Guide series. This is the fifth edition and the book is updated each year.

It follows their trademark style with beautiful colour artwork, photographs, cutaway drawings, a pull-out map and 3D birds-eye view maps packed into a compact format and runs to 208 pages. There are over 400 full-colour photographs, maps and illustrations in total.

It is split into several main sections; the first is a general overview of Central Florida. There is then a section on Walt Disney World Resort with details of where to eat and drink, information such as waiting times and height restrictions on each ride and the best time to ride (and when to avoid) or visit the parks. Rides are also ranked so you can make sure you do not miss the best ones.

The third section covers Orlando's other major theme parks such as SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, Aquatica, Universal Studios, Islands of Adventure, Universal Citywalk and Wet 'n' Wild.

There are also details of some of the smaller attractions including Gatorland, the Holyland Experience, Ripley's Believe It Or Not and a little further afield, the Kennedy Space Center.

To read the complete review of Eyewitness Walt Disney World Resort and Orlando, click here.

Stitch's SuperSonic Celebration

Last month we brought you details of a new stage show, Stitch's SuperSonic Celebration which had just opened in Tomorrowland at Magic Kingdom.

It clearly didn't hit the mark as Disney have canned it almost immediately and it closed on June 27.

Hall of Presidents

However, as one show closes another opens. The Hall of Presidents officially re-opens on Independence Day with a revamped show including a new audio-animatronic version of Barack Obama. The narration is provided by Morgan Freeman.

Gatorland Changes

Gatorland have upgraded their Flamingo Island with a new sandy beach and perches for the flamingos.

Between June 1 and July 31, Florida residents can save $8 off the adult admission price to Gatorland.

Busch Gardens Sesame Street

The Florida website Floridathrills.net has reported that a new attraction could be coming to Busch Gardens.

Busch Gardens Tampa have filed to build a roller coaster with four buildings including a gift shop. There is speculation that this will be a Sesame Street attraction along the lines of a similar attraction at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

Legoland Florida

Could Legoland be coming to Florida? There have been rumours for a while that Lego might open a second US theme park; there is already a Legoland park in California.

The website www.screamscape.com have reported stories of an online survey asking people their view on a Legoland park in Central Florida and possibly on the site of Cypress Gardens which gets you thinking!

For more information on Florida theme parks, click here.

July and August 2009 desktop wallpaper calendars

The free Florida desktop wallpaper calendars are now available in widescreen format as well as standard format so if you have a widescreen monitor you can now download a new widescreen calendar.

Free desktop calendars for July 2009 (Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park) and August 2009 (Bok Tower) are ready to download now.

Note that some of the larger files can be up to 600k in size so if you are on a modem dialup line it will take a few minutes to download.

To view and then download the Florida free desktop wallpaper for July or August now, click here.

Also don't forget if you are looking for inspiration on what to do on your Florida vacation, why not take advantage of our collection of free brochures where you will find information on many activities including golfing vacations, eco-tours, scuba diving and Caribbean cruises.

Read more...

The big event in July is of course Independence Day on July 4th. For details of many of the Independence Day celebrations throughout Florida including all the main theme parks, click here.

Other notable events in July include racing at the Daytona International Speedway including the Subway Jalapeno 250 NASCAR Nationwide Series, the Brumos Porsche 250 and the Coke Zero 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Busch Gardens, Universal Studios and Epcot are all running summer concerts and during July some of the featured artists include David Cassidy, Starship, The O'Jays and at Epcot a number of tribute bands.

At the Kennedy Space Center there is potentially one shuttle launch scheduled for July.

For full coverage of July events throughout the State of Florida, click here.

Temperatures in July will most likely be below normal with above average rainfall.

In the north around Pensacola and Jacksonville, the month will be a mixture of sunshine and showers with the occasional thunderstorm. Temperatures will be in the high 80 to low 90s during the day with night-time temperatures in the high 60s/high 70s. It will be slightly warmer in the east during the daytime.

Across the Central region, the weather outlook is similar but with more sunshine on the Gulf Coast. Temperatures will be in the high 80s/low 90s during the day, dropping to high 60s/low 70s over night.

Down in Miami and the Keys, again there will be thunderstorms but the further south you go, the more sunshine you'll see. Temperatures will be in the high 80s/low 90s during the day and mid to high 70s overnight.

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

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

Copyright © 2009, Stephen Downs, Florida Review & Travel Guide. All rights reserved. Please do NOT reprint or host on your website without explicit permission from http://www.floridareview.co.uk.

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