More Halloween fun at Gaylord Palms
Gaylord Palms Resort is expanding its Halloween programming with events that feature a swamp witch from Tallahassee, water park activities and an antibullying message.
Goblins & Giggles Weekends run at the Kissimmee resort from Sept. 15 through Oct. 29. New to the event is Spookley the Square Pumpkin, which Gaylord describes as “a little gourd with a big message about anti-bullying.” The character is the centerpiece of the Hide & Seek scavenger hunt. An animated film with Spookley is shown poolside on select nights, and the Storytime with Morgana session retells Spookley’s story.
The new Swamp Witch Escape Ghost Tour winds through Gaylord’s 4.5-acre atrium and spins a tale of Bessie Budd-Graham, aka the swamp witch of Tallahassee. Guests work together to escape Bessie’s curse, Gaylord says.
The hotel offers a Goblins & Giggles Getaway Weekends Package starting at $189 per night, which includes accommodations, tickets for a Monster Mash Bash dance party, the Trick or Treat Expedition in the atrium, the activity book for the scavenger hunt, Storytime with Morgana and poolside activities that are available to folks overnighting at Gaylord.
Those guests are privy to the Wicked Awesome Pool Party — hosted by Vladimir the vampire — and the Wicked Waves Surf Show on the resort’s FlowRider.
The theming extends to the resort’s spa (“Bone Chilling Balm,” “Supernatural Scrub,”) and restaurants.
For more information, go to gaylordpalms.com.
Disney After Hours will return to Magic Kingdom theme park for select dates in 2018.
A limited number of tickets are sold for the event, which, by design, makes for short-to-nonexistent waits for attractions.
More than 25 of its rides and character greetings will be operating, including Space Mountain, Seven Dwarfs Mine Train, Peter Pan’s Flight, Haunted Mansion and “it’s a small world.” The park also will present the “Happily Ever After” fireworks.
After Hours dates for 2018 are Jan. 19, Jan. 26, Jan. 30, Feb. 8, Feb. 15, March 1 and March 8.
A Disney After Hours ticket allows entry at 7 p.m. Folks can remain until 11 p.m. or midnight, depending on the date.
Disney World’s website lists the cost as $119 for advance sales, $124 the day of the event. There are disdios counts for WDW annual passholders and Disney Vacation Club Members, with tickets going for $89.
The company introduced Disney After Hours with seven dates early this year. The price was $149, but the event lasted as late as 2 a.m.
Universal Orlando has set the dates for the 2018 edition of A Celebration of Harry Potter, a salute to all things boy wizard, from the books by J.K. Rowling to the eight-part film series and beyond.
The three-day event will be held at the theme parks will be Jan. 26-28.
Details are scarce now, but Universal’s website says to expect appearances by folks associated with the film series, Q&A sessions, special panels, demonstrations and “new surprises.”
The event attracts many wand-bearing fans in Hogwarts-inspired costumes and robes to Universal Stu- and Islands of Adventure theme parks.
A handful of Central Florida oddities are included in a new book called “Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Shatter Your Senses.”
The 256-page book, produced by Orlando-based Ripley Publishing, includes 1,500 new bits of information. “Senses,” sporting a big eyeball image on its cover, goes with a see-tastefeel-smell-hear theme.
The local entries fall primarily in the visual category. Getting big play in the book is the dress worn by Marilyn Monroe that fetched about $5 million at auction this year. It was purchased by Orlandobased Ripley Entertainment. The rhinestone gown was worn by Monroe in 1962 while she famously sang “Happy Birthday” to President John F. Kennedy. It “was so tight-fitting it’s said that Monroe had to be sewn into the book reads.
Other Central Florida connections include:
An item about a SeaWorld Orlando dolphin that snatched an iPad from a woman.
A portrait of “Star Trek” character Mr. Spock made of computer keys that was made by Oviedo artist Doug Powell and a snippet featuring Orlando artist Mateo Blanco, who created a lifesize Queen Elizabeth II sculpture from 4,000 playing cards and hundreds of dice.
An item about Victory Stunt Team rider Joe Dryden, who complete a 2.2-mile burnout on a motorbike at Orlando Speed World.
A photograph of a spiderweb dress made by Floridian Robert Bernard de Leon. (It includes a 6-inch Mexican tarantula spider.)
The book retails for $28.95. dress,” the