By Don Gworek Orlando’s longest-running local road race, the Dick Batchelor 5K, relocated to Universal Orlando this year. The event raises money for a number of children’s charities. Here’s a look at this morning’s run. Last year’s registration was approximately 1,200, and this year it jumped to 1,800. This was the 30th running of the [...]

One thousand of today’s guests visiting The Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Universal’s Islands of Adventure were most likely going to buy a Butterbeer at some point. But they were surprised with a free one as Universal announced they’ve now sold more than one million of the frost beverages since the Wizarding World opened [...]

Jan. 6, 2011 – This week’s show comes to you from Ripley’s Believe It Or Not museum on International Drive. Join our hosts as they bring you Orlando theme park and attraction news. httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6PNSlVJ6aA This week’s show covers these topics and more: • Ripley’s Believe It Or Not! • Fire at Universal Orlando • WDW [...]

We knew it would be busy the last day of New Year’s weekend, but we braved the crowds at Universal’s Islands of Adventure. As with most theme parks, they brought out some seldom seen things to keep the large crowds entertained. Here’s what we saw that was new and different, plus a look at the [...]

A fire broke out at Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls flume ride at Universal’s Islands of Adventure earlier today. The ride and the surrounding areas of Toon Lagoon were evacuated and no injuries were reported. Orlando Attractions Magazine video host Jessica Steele Allen and her husband Brandon Allen were just outside of the park to bring [...]

Dec. 31, 2010 – This week’s show brings you 2010 in review. Join hosts Samantha and JD as they bring you all the Orlando theme park and attraction highlights of the past year, with some news thrown in. We’ll review all the big news at Disney World, Universal, Busch Gardens and SeaWorld. Then they’ll let [...]

It was a year dominated by The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opening and musical performances. So instead of only looking at the most viewed videos uploaded this year, we’re going to look at the top 2010 videos a couple of different ways. Yesterday we presented the Top 10 most read theme park stories for [...]

Actor Tom Felton (Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter movies) visited with the Beauxbatons at The Wizarding World of Harry Potter during his return to Universal Orlando today. After enjoying Butterbeer with his friends and visiting Hogwarts Castle, Felton spent the rest of his day enjoying the attractions at both Islands of Adventure and Universal [...]

The Winter 2011 issue of Orlando Attractions Magazine is now available to order. The magazine is at the printer and will be shipping out within the next week or two. Look for it in our iPad app soon, and in major bookstores nationwide sometime in January. Subscribers should receive their copy within the next four [...]

Dec. 16, 2010 – Join hosts JD Trussell and Samantha Sanders for Episode Three of Orlando Attractions Magazine – The Show. They’ll bring you this week’s theme park and attraction news, viewer feedback, fan videos and more. httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uozPnoghr0 This week’s topics include: • Celebration Concert and interview with Kicking Daisies and Allstar Weekend. • Clarion [...]

By Samantha Sanders Forget hot chocolate! This holiday season, warm up with a toasty, buttery mug of hot Butterbeer. As most of you know, you can get chilled or frozen Butterbeer in the The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. During the sweltering summer months, the cold beverage is a sweet treat for guests. But, now [...]

The Triceratops attraction in Jurassic Park at Universal’s Islands of Adventure reopened yesterday after being closed for many years. Formerly known as Triceratops Encounter, the attraction is basically the same as before, but with a new name, Triceratops Discovery Trail. Guests walk-through the electric fences of Jurassic Park to meet one of three “living, breathing” [...]

Column by Kevin Yee Universal’s new Wizarding World of Harry Potter powered its parent company to some great quarterly profits in 2010, no doubt due to the amazing Forbidden Journey ride and those $25 wands. But a more humble item attracts equal attention from the rabid fans: the lowly beverage known as Butterbeer. Universal’s theme [...]

Academy award-winning actors Michael Douglas and wife Catherine Zeta-Jones along with their children Dylan, 10, and Carys, 7, flew over The Wizarding World of Harry Potter and past Hogwarts Castle while riding Flight of the Hippogriff in Universal’s Islands of Adventure today. As fans of the Harry Potter books and films, the family also sampled [...]

Universal Orlando is getting ready for the holidays again this year with some favorites returning and a couple of new offerings. The “extra holiday magic” officially starts Dec. 4 and runs through Jan. 1. At Universal Studios, the Macy’s Holiday Parade will march down the streets every evening with the same iconic balloons seen winding [...]

Photos and captions by Don Gworek The International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo is in town this week and they’re offering a number of theme park tours. Last night, a handful of busses departed the convention center for an exclusive tour and presentation of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s [...]

The AMC Universal Cineplex 20 in CityWalk, which is just steps away from The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, will devote every theater to the opening of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 – giving guests multiple opportunities to be among the first to see the new film. All 20 movie screens [...]

Potter Puppet Pals, the YouTube comedy sensation, will perform live in Orlando next July for LeakyCon 2011, a charity Harry Potter conference put on by LeakyNews.com. Neil Cicierega and his fellow puppetteers will be bringing the Pals’ brand of satire and spoof to Orlando. The videos have garnered more than 172 million views to date, [...]

Is this the new version of the Hogwarts Express? AirTran Airways, and Universal Orlando have teamed up to allow passengers a ride on a one-of-a-kind “Wizarding World of Harry Potter” themed aircraft. The Boeing 717 features an illustration depicting a wizarding hand, complete with wand, stretching from the back of the plane to the front. [...]

The Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey ride at Universal’s Islands of Adventure just became a lot more accommodating. As of Sept. 10, 2010, many of the seats on the ride have been modified to fit larger guests who had previously been turned away. Since the feature ride in The Wizarding World of Harry Poter [...]