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Tags: Spring Break Travel / Spring Travel / Celeb Travel / → All Tags

Three Celeb Hotspots Perfect For Spring Break 2010

Anyone can go to Daytona Beach or Cancun on spring break, but what if you want to live like the rich and famous for a week. Take a cue from your favorite celebrities and check out these luxury spring break packages that won't break the bank.

· Cote d'Azur: Celebrities love the French Riviera, everyone form Bono to Jay-Z have parked their Yachts in the crystal clear waters just off the shores of Nice, Cannes and Monaco. This year, Sand or Snow is offering an all inclusive spring break package to Barcelona and the French Riviera. The trip includes six nights accommodation w/ breakfasts, one overnight transfer from Barcelona to Nice, one welcome dinner and 2 sunset aperitivos, daytrips to Sites and Cannes, a chance to explore Monaco’s nightlife and more for $921.48 per person. You can still book now at Sandorsnow.com.

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Tags: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter / Harry Potter / Universal Studios / Amusement Parks / Theme Parks / Orlando Travel / Florida Travel / → All Tags

The Hogwarts Express Arrives to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

Continuing our peek-by-peek look at the goodies inside the soon-to-open Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park at Universal Studios Orlando, we finally get details on the much-beloved Hogwarts Express train.

It's won't be the real Platform 9 3/4 at London's King's Cross station, but the Wizarding World will have its very own Hogwarts Express train, complete with smoke and sound effects. It's unclear right now if the train moves at all, although we doubt it. It's more like an exhibit, which sits at the Hogsmeade village entrance and greets visitors. Here's the official explanation of the train's function:

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Tags: Accidents / SeaWorld / Orlando Travel / Amusement Parks / Animals / → All Tags

Shamu Stadium at SeaWorld Orlando Remains Closed While Rest of Park Reopens

The death of a whale trainer at the hands of one of SeaWorld Orlando's killer whales yesterday affected more than just the one amusement park. The fatal accident occurred in the middle of a public performance at the Florida SeaWorld location, resulting in the closure of that whole park for the day but also the closing of the Shamu attractions at other SeaWorld parks around the country.

The killer whale attractions at SeaWorld San Diego and SeaWorld San Antonio—but not the whole parks—were shut down just in case as SeaWorld as a whole takes a closer look at the safety procedures and the details behind the Orlando incident.

Although SeaWorld Orlando reopened today, Shamu Stadium remains closed and the whale at the center of the investigation—Tikikum, who's been in captivity for 30 years after being captured off Iceland—sits in a holding tank. We think it's time for a another sequel to "Free Willy."

Related Stories:
· Killer whale Tilikum drowned trainer by her ponytail [Guardian UK]
· Cars line up as SeaWorld Orlando reopens a day after trainer's death; Shamu Stadium closed [Newser]
· Animal Travel [Jaunted]

[Photo: Kids Family Vacations]

Tags: Tragedies / SeaWorld / Shamu / Orlando Travel / Travel News / Amusement Parks / → All Tags

Death Reported at Shamu Stadium Inside SeaWorld Orlando

UPDATE 2.26.10: SeaWorld Orlando's website has only updated on the show schedule page to say that the Believe shows at Shamu Stadium will resume again tomorrow, February 27. The Dine with Shamu experience, which enables guests to have lunch while observing the whales and was the scene of the horrifying incident, has been suspended until further notice.

Park authorities say the killer whale, Tillikum, will not be transferred, released or destroyed but whether he will perform is still not certain.

UPDATE: 5:26pm EST: A Twitterer in the audience, SapphicKitty, snapped a couple of Twitpics just before the show and Tweeted, "The killer whales are have a "moment" They don't feel like performing right now...." Later, the Twitterer found out it was because of all the action that happened just before the show started. Sad.

UPDATE 4:10pm EST: It has been confirmed that a trainer was attacked by a whale at the start of the show. Alarms went off and the stadium was evacuated. The park is still open but the whale stadium is closed.

However, it looks like the whale, Tillikum, has a history of doing this as he was the reason a trainer drowned in 1991 at Sealand of the Pacific in British Columbia. Another man was found dead laying on Tillikum's back in 1999 at SeaWorld. The man had snuck into the park and was later believe to have drowned but Tillikum had torn his shorts and bit him as well.

It's a tragic day for SeaWorld to lose one of its trainers doing the job they loved. But also, animals in captivity: still not a good idea.

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Tags: Spring Training / Baseball / Baseball Travel / Sports Travel / → All Tags

It's That Time of the Year Again! Spring Training in Florida

Spring must be right around the corner, because pitchers and catchers have already reported to the Sunshine State. They’re loosening up in time for next week when the first spring training games in the Grapefruit League are scheduled to begin. It’s time to book some cheap airfare and head down to Florida to get out of the snow and celebrate the national pastime. Here’s the scoop on a few teams, where they play, and what they offer.

· New York Yankees
The Yankees begin to defend their title by kicking off their practice schedule next week. Just like their real home in the Bronx, things are expensive if you’re thinking about dropping by Tampa to check them out. The cheap seats start at $17 in the outfield, but seeing Derek Jeter in person is priceless—that’s at least what the ladies tell us.

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Tags: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter / Harry Potter / Universal Studios / Amusement Parks / Theme Parks / Orlando Travel / Florida Travel / → All Tags

Universal Studios Announces First Harry Potter Theme Park Vacation Package

So, in case you haven't seen our exhaustive coverage on the subject, Universal Studios is planning to open a Harry Potter theme park this spring. They haven't yet released an official opening date for "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter," which will be located within Universal Orlando's Islands of Adventure, but they have announced the first vacation package specifically aimed at visitors to the Harry Potter park.

The packages at UniversalOrlando.com, which start at $285 per person or $829 for a family of four, promise early access and all sorts of goodies. Of course they're really pimping the expensive four-night plan at $645 per person or $1,548 for a family of four, which includes four nights at one of Universal’s three on-site AAA Four Diamond hotels, three days of admission to Universal Studios and Universal’s Islands of Adventure theme parks, express access to rides and attractions to bypass the regular lines, early park admission to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, breakfast at the Three Broomsticks, and a commemorative ticket for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

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Tags: NASCAR / Car Racing / Florida Travel / Mancations / → All Tags

Where To Lose Your Daytona 500 Hangover Today

The Olympics entertained us most of the afternoon, but there was also another pretty big sporting event going on yesterday. NASCAR lovers from around the world gathered on the coast of the Sunshine State to check out this year’s Daytona 500. Just like last year, there were some issues, but this year’s problems sounded a little more like stuff commuters experience on daily basis. There was a pothole that stopped the race a couple times, but Jamie McMurray was finally able to hold off everyone else—including Dale Earnhardt Jr.—to take the checkered flag.

If you’re still in town you can always check out the Daytona 500 experience, but if you’ve been in Florida for a few days you’ve probably already done it. You can always take your racecar obsession to the next level by shelling out some cash to actually hit the track at Daytona International Speedway. The Richard Petty Driving Experience will be glad to arrange a ride-along on the track for only $135. The three laps at about 165 mph will go by pretty quickly, so you better leave the credit card back at the hotel so you don’t start spending too much too quickly.

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Tags: Jersey Shore Travel / Snooki / Jersey Shore / Miami Travel / Television Travel / TV Travel / → All Tags

'Jersey Shore' Will Film Second Season in Miami Beach

Aha! It's just as we guessed; the guido-rific cast of MTV's Jersey Shore will return for their second season and head south...to Miami! The move was expected, but the final location wasn't discovered until rumors got around the MTV had already rented a house in South Beach and was busy petitioning clubs for the rights to film in them. Aside from club hopping, we also expect lots of slow, convertible driving up and down Collins and a few too many Cuba Libres.

The new season won't start filming until May, and we bet it has something to do with avoiding college spring break, because wouldn't that just be a perfect recipe for ratings disaster?

Although you won't catch a glimpse of Snooki's pouf around their Lincoln Drive house until then, we're sure that at least one of the crew is probably heading to your town for a DJ set or paid appearance. And we can just imagine what they'll do for Miami tourism; these kids could probably just host club nights in Miami for years after this, and attract all the kids who are impressionable now but will have vacation time and money in their pockets in a few years.

Related Stories:
· The Jersey Shore Guidos To Tape Season 2 In South Beach [Gawker]
· The Jersey Shore Will Return for a Second Season, But Not to New Jersey [Jaunted]
· Jersey Shore Travel [Jaunted]

[Photo: Piedra Homes, FLBL]

Tags: Super Bowl Travel / Disney World / Florida Travel / Events / Lists / Disney / → All Tags

Super Bowl MVP Drew Brees is Going to Disney World...Today!

We learned something during this year's Super Bowl, after the win of the New Orleans Saints against the Indianapolis Colts. We learned that if we ever actually get to attend the Super Bowl in the future and it's back in Florida, that we should book a side-trip to Orlando's Disney World for the next day, because of the tradition for the Super Bowl MVP to go on a ticker tape parade through the park.

Saint's QB Drew Brees isn't going to mess up the tradition by turning down the offer to ride around with Mickey Mouse either; last night, at the end of the game, he was asked the traditional question—one dating back to 1987—that goes a little something like this: "You've just won the Super Bowl, what are you going to do next?" And of course he answered: "I'm going to Disney World."

The official @DisneyParks twitter confirms this, saying that Brees and a few teammates are scheduled to do the Magic Kingdom parade at 11:55am today. That gives you three hours—you Orlando-area football fans—to get to the park, but we'd hope that you had today off work first. And since a New Orleans ticker tape parade is inevitable, stay tuned to us here at Jaunted for news on that once the city has the official news out.

Related Stories:
· @DisneyParks [Twitter]
· Drew Brees: 'I'm Going to Disney World' [Disney Parks Blog]
· Football travel [Jaunted]

[Steelers 2009 parade photo: lifthill]

Tags: Super Bowl Travel / Florida Travel / Events / Lists / Miami Travel / Museum Travel / → All Tags

Five Things To Do In South Florida This Weekend (Other Than the Super Bowl)

We’re hardly encouraging you to skip out on the big game this weekend, but if you’re in the Miami area and really aren’t ready for some football, there are a few other options.

Our 5 picks for other things to do in South Florida besides the Super Bowl:

· Super Bowl Saturday Night
This event might be named after the Sunday night action, but it’s more about music and fireworks than footbal. O.A.R., Barenaked Ladies, and Robert Randolph and The Family Band will be performing a free concert in Fort Lauderdale. Gates open at 4pm near the Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach Hotel, and the festivities are totally open to anyone who wants to attend. The night ends with a fireworks performance over the water a little before 10pm.

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Tags: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter / Harry Potter / Universal Studios / Amusement Parks / Theme Parks / Orlando Travel / Florida Travel / → All Tags

Revealed: The First Commercial for the Harry Potter Theme Park at Universal Studios

More, more, MORE new information leaks out from Universal Studios as they get ever closer to the spring opening of their new theme park: "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter."

Fresh from post-production, we have the commercial for the place, which isn't due to air on television until during the Super Bowl on Sunday. Watch it above—before most of the rest of the world gets even a glimpse of it—and start trying to decide whether you're don a Gryffindor or Slytherin scarf for Sunday.

Okay so we've watched it a few times now, and it keeps giving us goosebumps. There's something about the look of the place that appeals to us so much, and you know—we wouldn't mind throwing on a cape and pretending we were in old-timey England for a day (although the theme park is in Orlando, so it'll be like 80 degrees). Who's ready for Harry Potter fever to hit South Florida?

Related Stories:
· More News On Universal Studio's Harry Potter Theme Park: Ollivander's! [Jaunted]
· Revealed: First Images of Hogwarts at 'Wizarding World of Harry Potter' Theme Park [Jaunted]
· The Wizarding World of Harry Potter to Open at Universal Orlando in Spring 2010 [Jaunted]
· Universal Studios news [Jaunted]

[Photo: care of Universal Studios]

Tags: Themed Cruises / The Beatles / Beatles Travel / Royal Caribbean / → All Tags

Obsess Over The Beatles 'Eight Days a Week' on The Tribute Cruise

Were you curious about Oxford University's mini-program this summer featuring an entire class on The Beatles? but want something less academic and stuffy? The Beatles Tribute Cruise has come to your rescue.

The cruise will set sail on March 28 for one week, departing from Fort Lauderdale and making stops in Belize and Costa Maya and Cozumel in Mexico. And it's bound to be populated by the middle-aged versions of fanboys and girls.

The cruise will feature some of the most important people on the fringes of the Beatles stardom like May Pang, Yoko Ono's assistant who famously hooked up with John Lennon on his "Lost Weekend" in LA. Additionally, Paul Saltzman, the photographer who captured the Beatles during their retreat to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi's ashram in India will be cruising as well as Shannon, the Beatles artist who did all the artwork at the Hard Day's Night Hotel in Liverpool.

And of course, a tribute band called BritBeat that hails not Liverpool, but from Chicago:

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