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The Wizarding World of Harry Potter -- Official Opening Date!

Get ready, muggles and magic folk alike -- Universal Resort Orlando has finally announced the official opening date for The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The big day is June 18, 2010. That's right! Just in time for the big summer travel season, Universal will open the doors to their highly-anticipated new Island, based entirely on the works and world of J. K. Rowling.

The Wizarding World of Harry Potter shares Island space with The Lost Continent but is an entirely new creation. Visitors will walk the streets of Hogsmeade Village, enjoy a butterbeer (already reputed to be delicious!) at The Three Broomsticks or The Hog's Head, grab some pumpkin pasties and chocolate frogs at Honeydukes Sweets Shop, and more. Check out all the magical ephemera in Dumbledore's office. Take a wander through the Griffindor common room. Find your wand at Ollivander's. The attention to detail is said to be extreme and exquisite, with much of it having been designed with input from Rowling herself.

Hogwarts Castle stands tall over the Wizarding World, drawing you to the park's centerpiece -- a magical flight with Ron, Hermione and Harry himself. The ride combines state-of-the-art animatronics and robotics with 360-degree immerse filming technology so you can experience the full effect of Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. And they say waiting in line for the ride is half the fun, thanks to a whole lot of that detail I mentioned earlier. The queue takes you through some of the most iconic locations from the beloved book series, including Dumbledore's office, the Griffindor Common Room, the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, even the castle dungeons. There are also two outdoor coasters -- Dragon Encounter (for your chance at the TriWizard Cup) and Flight of the Hippogriff (right by Hagrid's hut). This will be THE summer experience for book lovers, theme park-goers, and ride aficionados alike. There is nothing like it anywhere else and the level of detail and layered experience all but guarantees plenty of return visits. This is a definite for any Orlando vacation but if you want to hit it on or close to opening day, book now -- Universal's special packages are already selling out fast!

The Orlando You Don't Know: Spend a day in Old Florida

A mere 45 minutes from the parks awaits a lush paradise that is an unexpected surprise. Wekiva Springs State park is a different kind of Florida, the closest you can come to what things were like centuries ago, long before theme parks and interstates and Starbucks. Wekiva is part of the Florida State Park system and it prides itself on being " a glimpse of what Central Florida looked like when Timucuan Indians fished and hunted these lands."

Wekiva is a wonderful break from the ordinary, often hectic rush of an Orlando theme park vacation. Wekiva has acres and acres for you to explore at your leisure. There are trails for hiking, walking, bicycling, and horseback riding. You can take a kayak or canoe (rentals available at the park) ride on the often crystal clear water for glimpses of wildlife both on land and beneath the shimmering surface -- animals like Alligators, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Limpkins, Little Blue Herons, Tricolored Herons, Woodpeckers, Swallow-tailed Kites, Florida Black Bears, White-tailed Deer, River Otters, and Fox are just some of what you may see. Swimming and snorkeling is available year-round as well, since the spring maintain a natural temperature of 72 degrees no matter what the air temp is--that's refreshing in the hottest Florida summer and still comfortable during cool Orlando winters. Just remember this is a State Park, not a theme park -- all animals are wild animals and you always swim/snorkel at your own risk. I'd stick with the kayaks, myself, but the more adventurous out there might think differently.

Wekiva is one of my favorite places in the Orlando area. It's a peaceful, beautiful haven, the perfect place to relax and get away from all stresses, even the ones vacations sometimes bring. And at $5 a carload, it's a real bargain. This is a day trip well worth making time for, especially with the new Nature Center where you can learn about Florida history as well as local flora and fauna. There are even live wildlife specimens if you're not brave enough to hit the trails on your own. You can bring your own food to Wekiva too, so grab a picnic basket or a loaded backpack; there are also a few concession stands serving snacks and basics.

If you go to Wekiva, be sure to pack plenty of sunblock, bottled water and insect repellent; the Florida sun is strong and the bugs can be plentiful. A small first aid kit isn't a bad idea either, especially for inexperienced hikers. In my opinion, the best way to spend time at Wekiva is relaxing near the big spring swimming hole, stretched out on a blanket with a good book, with perhaps the occasional walk along the 18-mile boardwalk to try to spy some lurking wildlife. Bring your camera, bring a blanket, bring the family. This is the Orlando area at its most unexpected. Make time for it if you can.

Wekiwa Springs State Park\
1800 Wekiwa Circle
Apopka, Florida 32712
(407) 884-2008

Wekiwa Springs State Park

*Photographs credit of The Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Just in time for spring and summer heat, a new water slide at Aquatica

Aquatica is getting ready for the spring and summer seasons with a new, thrilling water slide -- Omaka Rocka. This brand new family slide features high-speed tubes and half-pipe funnels. That means you'll be splashing and dashing while sliding every possible way -- forward, backward and even up the walls! Once you reach the bottom, you'll literally skim and skip across the water before the drenching splashdown. I've sent my Orlando spies to go check out the new water action, so expect a first-hand report very soon.

After the splashdown, if you're up for splashing out, you can look into renting a private cabana. Aquatica offers several levels for those who want a guaranteed places to relax and aren't concerned about paying extra for it. There is a wide range of prices as well as amenities, starting from $99/day for up to four guests (extra guests for an additional $15/person) all the way to the Ultimate Cabana at a whopping $600/day. Cabanas feature upgraded furniture, lockers and more; some even include complimentary drinks and ceiling fans. But Cabana rentals do not include park admission--these rentals are all extras but during high capacity times, they're worth budgeting for, provided you make your reservations early.

But it's not all luxury extras--Aquatica has a new way to save money, as well. Check out the after 2pm pass, which allows entrance to the park after 2pm for the rest of 2010. That's NINE MONTHS of entry, with NO blackout dates, for $49.99 -- a whopping $2 more than a standard one day adult pass. That's a fantastic deal, especially if you know anything about Orlando summer weather, where daily morning and early afternoon thunderstorms are the norm. By 2pm, that weather will generally have passed and the parks will likely be less crowded, with the weather having chased away the morning crowds. Take advantage of this deal for sure.

April Fools Day

Happy April Fool’s Day! No practical jokes here, just a Disney way of looking at the day. Disney animated films have a long and proud history of fools and foolish characters, the ones we love to laugh at and who antics make us smile. How many of them do you have fond memories of? Here’s a list to get you started.

Goofy

Dopey (Snow White)

Scuttle (Little Mermaid)

La Fou (Beauty and the Beast)

Gus Gus (Cinderella)

Horace & Jasper (101 Dalmatians)

Snoops (The Rescuers)

The Mad Hatter, Tweedle Dee & Teedle Dum (Alice in Wonderland)

Sir Hiss (Robin Hood)

Mater (Cars)

Mike Wazowski (Monsters, Inc.)

Clopin (The Hunchback of Notre Dame)

Meeko (Pocahontas)

Kronk (The Emperor's New Groove)

Mr. Smee (Peter Pan)

Uncle Albert (Mary Poppins)

Iago (Aladdin)

Timon and Pumba (The Lion King)

Captain Jack (Pirates of the Caribbean)

Pain and Panic (Hercules)

Mushu (Mulan)

Who are your favorite fools and tricksters? Tell us all about it in the comments!