Fall Fun for the Not-So-Halloween Inclined

It happens – people grow out of donning costumes every year and lose a taste for candy (or never develop one). Some just aren’t into the whole horror and terror thing. Some people, believe it or not, simply aren’t a fan of Halloween, and come every October, these poor souls find themselves surrounded by a barrage of Halloween decorations, spooky events like Universal Studios Halloween Horror Nights and Busch Gardens Tampa Howl-O-Scream, and flocks of children showing up at their door begging for candy. What can you do if you’re such a person in Orlando, Florida, during the fall? Quite a lot, actually – one of the great things about a major metropolis like Orlando is that there’s always something to do for every different kind of person. So those who want a break from Halloween will have no trouble finding one at these great late October and early November events.

Velvet Sessions at the Hard Rock Hotel
On October 30th, enjoy the Hard Rock’s monthly rock n’ roll cocktail party. Each session combines creative cocktails with live music from the hottest rock bands. This month’s session will feature singer-songwriter Eddie Money, who will perform hits such as “Two Tickets to Paradise,” “Shakin’,” “Walk on Water,” and more. The party’s admission includes free drinks, hors de oeuvres, and warm-up tunes from 6:30 to 8:30 pm, so be sure to get there early to take advantage of the pre-show fun.

Epcot International Food & Wine Festival
We’ve written plenty about the famed food festival at Walt Disney World, so we won’t rehash all he particulars. But the end of the month is a great time to hit up the festival if you haven’t already; Eat to the Beat performers include Boyz II Men on the 29th and 30th, and the Atlanta Rhythm Section will be performing from Halloween to November 2nd. You can also catch one of the few City Tastes events on October 31st, where you can experience a taste of Italy and meet noted chefs, taste regional brews and wines, and enjoy live entertainment. Also on Halloween, be sure to see a one-day only cooking demonstration from Marimar Torres of the Catalan Country Kitchen in Sonoma, California.

Jazzed in Sanford
On November 1st, check out the free monthly Jazz Concert series held in Magnolia Square in downtown Sanford from 4 pm to 7 pm. It’s a cool, relaxing event in the historic brick square near award-winning restaurants, a wine bar, coffee bar, and martini club. This month’s concert features renowned guitar player Michael Leasure. Admission is free, so bring your jazz beret and enjoy the tunes.

Alfa Romeo Car Show
On November 1st, the Mid Florida Alfa Romeo Owners Club will host the annual Alfa Romeo Car Show in Downtown Celebration’s Town Center from 10 am to 3 pm. Fifty cars will be shown at the event, including an extremely rare Fiat Bianchina, and a rare 1959 Alfa Romeo Giuletta Spring. These Italian built automobiles first began manufacturing vehicles in 1913 and stopped importing cars into the US in 1995, so this is a rare chance to see these one-of-a-kind automobiles!

So if you’re not a Halloween enthusiast and you’re just counting the days until the holiday season passes, escape the craze with one of these unique Orlando events. Or, you can always hit up Orlando theme parks like Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios, or Universal Studios, which doesn’t become Halloween-ified until nighttime. Best yet, you can save on discount tickets for these great parks at DWTickets.com. Have fun not trick or treating!

Valentines Day at a Universal Resort and CityWalk

If you would like an alternative to spending Valentines Day at one of the two Universal theme parks the Universal Orlando Resort still has plenty of options for you and your loved one, from an exciting show at CityWalk to plenty of romantic options at the three resorts there on property. Or, you could always spend a day in the parks and then end your day with a bang with one of these options. If that is the plan, you can count on DWTickets.com to help with your Valentine’s Day expenses. We are your No. 1 online source for discounted tickets to all of the top attractions in Central Florida, so click here to peruse through these special discounted offers and get your Valentine’s Day planning underway!

As we mentioned earlier, the three first-class hotels at the Universal Orlando Resort are a great way to begin and end your Valentine’s Day this year. In addition to the plethora of amenities available, guests at these three resorts also get select privileges to both of the Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure parks, including a UNIVERSAL EXPRESS ride access pass, special activities and recreation, and many other perks for your park-hopping adventures.

The Royal Pacific Hotel is the largest of the three resort hotels, with 1,000 rooms, and is also the most affordable option of the three. This resort is a tropical paradise, with tropical landscaping, elaborate waterfalls and the orchid court with flowers in bloom all year long that will instantly transport any guest to an island in the South Seas. With a sandy lagoon-style pool to lay by in the afternoon and many fine dining establishments to visit at night (including Emeril’s Tchoup Chop, his second restaurant on property, featuring cuisine with Asian and Polynesian influences), you won’t even have to step foot off of the property to fully enjoy Valentine’s Day this year.

The second resort at Universal, the Hard Rock Hotel, prides itself on being the “coolest hotel on earth.” A California mission-style facade will greet the guests upon arrival, and a palm-lined swimming pool immerses visitors in not only water, but sound as well with their underwater music feature. With rock-n-roll memorabilia located throughout and a monthly rock-n-roll party with live bands, you truly can feel like a rock star at this resort. With 650 rooms, it is the smallest of the three accommodations, but it is by no means lacking in the entertainment department. If you happen to be staying here on Valentine’s Day, the Palm Restaurant at the Hard Rock Hotel is the most recommended sit-down restaurant, with a legendary menu of American fare, Italian cuisine, prime cuts of beef and jumbo lobster. For reservations for the Palm Restaurant, call 407-503-7256.

The third and final resort on property, the Portofino Bay Hotel, is at the head of the class for the Universal Orlando resorts and is by far the most romantic of all of the Universal Orlando hotels. It, like the other two resorts, has won numerous awards, including the AAA Four Diamond Award, Travel + Leisure Top-500 Hotels, and it is listed by Conde Nast as one of the "World’s Best Places to Stay." With its 750 guest rooms, an average room size of 463 square feet and three distinct pools (including a beach pool with children’s play area, an elegant villa pool with cabanas and a hillside pool), it outshines its competition. At the Portofino Bay Hotel, one can experience la dolce vita – the sweet life – as the picturesque hotel is located along a bay, creating the charm of a sunny seaside village of Portofino, Italy. It is even complete with intricate details such as cobblestone streets and outdoor cafes. Rooms offer stylish and spacious accommodations with Italian furnishings and VIP service all stay long, and dining here is heads and shoulders above the competition as well, with Mama Della’s Ristorante, Bice Ristorante and Trattoria del Porto all offering the finest in Italian cuisine.

If you happen to venture out of your hotel on Valentine’s Day, CityWalk offers a plethora of choices for a special Valentine’s Day. You can experience all of the clubs and bars at this entertainment hub, go see a movie at the AMC Universal Cineplex – or do both! For just $11.99, you can purchase a CityWalk Party Pass, which gives you unlimited one-night access to many of the clubs, bars and restaurants located around CityWalk (of note: this is included with your multi-theme park admission). Or, for $15.40, enjoy the CityWalk Party Pass and a Movie, which allows you the same access as above, with an additional pass to see a movie at the AMC Universal Cineplex, a 20-screen movie theater complex located in the heart of CityWalk. Among the clubs you will encounter at CityWalk are the Red Coconut Club, the newest venture that sits atop CityWalk, the groove – a dance club with a different theme each night – or Pat O’Brien’s, a re-creation of New Orleans’ favorite watering hole.

CityWalk also has another option that is still relatively new to the Orlando entertainment scene. Blue Man Group now occupies the Sharp AQUOS Theater at CityWalk, located between Hard Rock Café and the main entrance to Universal Studios, providing a small and intimate atmosphere for every single seat in house. Blue Man Group combines a unique blend of music, comedy and theatrics in a one-hour, 45-minute live stage show that amazes and engages its audience with new and unique creativity never seen before. Tickets for this show range from $59-$69 per person, with children’s tickets ranging from $49-$59. However, at DW Tickets, you can purchase discounted Blue Man Group tickets – simply call 1-877-219-9328 to place your order!

From all of us here at DWTickets.com, we would like to wish you a very happy Valentine’s Day!

Florida Governor Makes Gambling Deal

For most people, a trip to Orlando means a visit to Mickey Mouse, splashing with Shamu and riding the movies at Universal Orlando Resort. But a new agreement by Florida Governor Charlie Crist may change that view, or at least broaden it some. When planning your Orlando vacation, DWTickets.com is the first place you should visit for all of your theme park tickets. We always offer the biggest discounts and greatest deals to your favorite Orlando area attractions. When you get your cheap theme park tickets from DWTickets.com, there is no chance involved at all. It’s a sure bet that you will be a winner because you can get all of your cheap Orlando theme park tickets in one place and at the best prices in town!

With all the money you save on tickets, you may want to play some games of chance and take a day trip over to the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino just outside of Tampa. The casino has just undergone a $120 million expansion, possibly to make room for new games that will be allowed under a recent agreement made between the Seminole Tribe of Florida that runs the casino and the State of Florida. The new deal will allow the casino to offer even more games of chance to patrons of the hotel and casino. Currently, the casino’s offerings are restricted to low-stakes poker and bingo-style slots, which already provide plenty of bling for your gambling buck. But this new agreement would allow the casino to expand its gaming choices to include Vegas-style slots, blackjack and baccarat, for a fee…$100 million in royalties to the State of Florida.

Some Orlando tourism leaders are not pleased with the new deal, in fact the State House of Representatives is working to have it invalidated. This effort doesn’t look too terribly dangerous, however, because the federal government has already said they will step in to help the state make this work we can’t do it on our own. The casino is about an hour’s drive from Orlando, and it could offer a fun alternative to a vacation filled with theme park rides and character appearances. But for most, Orlando seems to have all they want in a vacation destination. Another thing all vacationers want is cheap theme park tickets, and you can get those at DWTickets.com. And that’s a winning bet!