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

February 8, 2010 at 9:00 AM | by JetSetCD | 1 Comment

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]

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

February 5, 2010 at 9:45 AM | by kjb | 0 Comments

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

Where: Universal Studios [map], Orlando, FL, United States
February 3, 2010 at 4:19 PM | by JetSetCD | 1 Comment

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]

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

February 3, 2010 at 1:29 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

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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Feel Free To Eat Them, Skin And All At The Kumquat Festival

January 29, 2010 at 3:45 PM | by kjb | 0 Comments

We’ve seen food festivals dedicated to some of the more popular tasty treats, but there are some lesser-known foods that want a chance in the spotlight. That’s why we’re recommending the annual Kumquat Festival in Dade City, Florida for your weekend itinerary. We know what the fruit looks like—kind of like an orange—but don’t think we’ve ever had one. Apparently they are tasty enough for their own party, so we’re intrigued.

Kumquat festivities have been going on all week, but the main event is Saturday, January 30 from 9am to 5pm. There will be a farmer’s market to bring home some citrus souvenirs, antiques, live music, and even a car show. Of course there will be plenty of specialty dishes including the featured ingredient. Aspiring kumquat chefs battled it out earlier in the week in a recipe contest, so be on the look out for samples of the blue ribbon winning recipe.

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Fort Lauderdale Airport is Ready For Some Football

January 28, 2010 at 5:20 PM | by juliana | 0 Comments

This is what greeted us when we landed in Fort Lauderdale in the Virgin America terminal on Tuesday night—Super Bowl banners!

The Super Bowl is not for another week more, but more football fans are expected to flood the Fort Lauderdale-Miami areas this weekend as well as the NFL Pro Bowl takes place here on Sunday.

Related Stories:
· The Cheapest Flights to the Super Bowl for Colts and Saints Fans [Jaunted]
· Te Top Five Most Outlandish NFL Playoff Packages [Jaunted]
· Super Bowl travel coverage [Jaunted]

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More News On Universal Studio's Harry Potter Theme Park: Ollivander's!

Where: Universal Studios [map], Orlando, FL, United States
January 28, 2010 at 3:40 PM | by JetSetCD | 2 Comments

As we get closer and closer to the projected opening season of the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park within Orlando's Universal Studios, we're receiving updates on the construction and features pretty quickly. Just earlier this week, we revealed the first official photograph of the huge Hogwarts castle, which is making finishing touches.

Today, we've found out details of a few interactive experiences that'll be around the base of Hogwarts, down in the park. Want to know more about Ollivander's Wand Shop and more? We've got all the details after the jump, but also pick up today's USA Today for a code to use with your phone's camera or laptop camera to see an augmented reality map of the park.

More! After the jump

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Even Febreze Can’t Lessen The Dead Fish Stink In The Everglades

January 28, 2010 at 12:45 PM | by kjb | 0 Comments

It was pretty cold across much of the country earlier this month, and areas in Florida were seeing temperatures that were truly unusual. Besides the risk to our beloved orange juice supply, wildlife also didn’t do too well in the abnormal temperatures. The recent cold snap actually caused a fish kill in some areas of the state, and the underwater population was especially hard hit in Everglades National Park.

You could consider this just part of the circle of life, but the dead fishing are washing up on shore and causing a smelly situation for campers looking to enjoy the great outdoors. The Flamingo Campground at the park with sites along the water’s edge has become particularly odoriferous. The Long Pine Key Campground might be a better option for the time being.

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Revealed: First Images of Hogwarts at 'Wizarding World of Harry Potter' Theme Park

Where: Universal Studios [map], Orlando, FL, United States
January 25, 2010 at 4:17 PM | by JetSetCD | 3 Comments

Look what just landed in our inbox just a moment ago. It's the first official real image of Hogwarts, within "The Wizarding World of Harry Potter" theme park at Universal Studios Orlando. Muggles, rejoice!

Seriously though, this is one work of crazy construction. Granted we don't have any idea of its actual size from the picture, but it does look impressive and we can't wait for more news to trickle out before the 20-acre "fully immersive" theme park officially opens sometimes later this spring. Oh wait, we remember the CEO of Universal Studios saying something about how "everything will be scaled to size with an incredible level of detail." We're far too old to be freaking out about this, but the thought of donning a cape and entering a life-size great room at Hogwarts is pretty appealing, you have to admit.

After the jump, a full update on construction

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Watch Out, Disney! Legoland Is Coming to Central Florida

January 21, 2010 at 2:20 PM | by kjb | 0 Comments

Cypress Gardens was Florida’s theme park hotspot before Mickey and company rolled into the state during the 1970s. Focusing on its gardens and water ski shows the park did its best to stay in business throughout some tough years. However, it appears now that 2009 was the last year for Cypress Gardens in its previous format.

Last week, Merlin Entertainments Group bought the rights to the park. They didn’t disclose pricing, but it probably was enough money to warrant one of those oversized checks. The Merlin group owns Legoland in California, and they also operate a few theme parks in Europe. We immediately were hoping that the park would get a Lego makeover, but it had been pretty quiet until yesterday.

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How To Get Tickets To The NFL Pro Bowl In Miami

January 11, 2010 at 1:49 PM | by kjb | 1 Comment

Lots of time was spent on the couch this weekend as we watched the first week of the NFL playoffs, and thanks to a couple upsets, some of the league’s best players will be back before next season. That’s because this year’s Pro Bowl is changing things up. In the past, the league’s all-star game has been held the weekend after the Super Bowl in Hawaii, but this year the NFL is hoping to give more fans access to the game by scheduling it the week before the Super Bowl on January 31. If you hate this new format—no worries—the game will be back with an Aloha vibe in 2011.

Scoring tickets to this season’s game should be a little simpler than it has been in the past. Miami is more accessible for many fans than Honolulu, and the stadium capacity in Florida is almost 20,000 greater. That means more cash for the NFL, and a better chance for fans to snag an autograph from players like Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, and DeSean Jackson—these guys all lost over the weekend. The only weird thing about this year’s game is that players selected to the Pro Bowl will be absent if they’re headed to the Super Bowl—we’re thinking that could be the case for Peyton Manning.

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Florida Will Not Gamble On Adding Slot Machines At Miami Airport

December 22, 2009 at 4:42 PM | by Omri | 0 Comments

Miami International Airport is in a financial tight spot. For reasons beyond our understanding they chose to undertake a massive construction project, not only shoring up but expanding the airport. Above the price tag of the project itself, the airport's operating costs will almost triple over the next half-decade. Right now it costs $600 million per year to run MIA. By 2015 it will cost $1.5 billion/year.

Here's where the catch comes in. It turns out that civilian aviation is experiencing something of a slump, leaving very few ways to make up the shortfall. Airport managers hoped to ride a pro-gambling wave that's sweeping the area and add slot machines beyond the security checkpoints. Citing the airport's incompetence, plus several other concerns, Florida state regulators gave the airport a very firm NO. Local media outlets had a bit more to say, however:

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