Orlando’s theme parks have made the city one of the world’s most popular tourist destinations. And this year’s Theme Park Insider Awards again provide a glimpse as to why Orlando remains a tourism hot spot.Orlando theme parks won three of the four categories in the Theme Park Insider Awards competition. The Theme Park Insider Awards were based on average reader ratings on http://www.themeparkinsider.com/ over the past 12 months.

Registered users of the site have the opportunity to rate attractions, restaurants and hotels on a scale from 0 to 10 and vote only once on each location. ThemeParkInsider.com tallies the ratings and computes averages for each location to determine the winners.

Universal’s Islands of Adventure, home to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, was voted the Best Theme Park for the second consecutive year.

Star Tours at Disney’s Hollywood Studios (and Disneyland) was named Best New Attraction.

Epcot’s Bistro de Paris was named the Best Theme Park Restaurant for the second year in a row.

The final category for Best On-Site Theme Park Hotel was won by Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel in Anaheim, Calif.

In the restaurant category, runners-up included two Orlando venues, Mythos at Islands of Adventure and Epcot’s Via Napoli.

Universal’s Portofino Bay and Disney World’s Beach Club Resort were voted runners-up in the hotel division.

For information on Orlando’s theme parks and discount Orlando theme park vacation packages, visit www.westgatereservations.com.

It must be summer. Orlando’s theme parks are full of music and adventure!At SeaWorld Orlando, Saturday kicks off the start of “Summer Nights at SeaWorld.” Events include the return of the fun-filled killer whale show, Shamu Rocks plus the night-ending fireworks and water fountain show called Reflections. A new adventure for summer at SeaWorld is a family friendly party zone - Summer Nights Central - that stretches along the path to Bayside Stadium. The area will also feature live music on weekends from now thru August 14.

SeaWorld Orlando also offers extended hours for the summer with the park open until 10 pm.

At Universal Studios, the weekend brings another round of the park’s Summer Concert Series. Special guest Nelly takes the Universal stage at 9 pm on Saturday.

Meanwhile, at Disney World Resort, the Sounds Like Summer Concert Series featuring tribute bands continues at Epcot. Shows on June 17 and 18 feature Hotel California - A Tribute to the Eagles. Beginning Sunday, June 19 and lasting all week, the musical performances will be dedicated to Stayin’ Alive - A Tribute to the Bee Gees.

Epcot’s Sounds Like Summer concerts are held at 5:45, 7 and 8:15 p.m.

Concerts at all three theme parks are included with regular admission.

Universal Studios recently announced two new upcoming adventures for its Orlando, FL theme parks.

The first is an all-new 3-D ride experience based on the popular Universal Pictures’ film, Despicable Me. Opening in 2012, the ride features Gru, the world’s most lovable super-villain as his brings his high tech empire and three adopted daughters (Agnes, Edith, Margo) to Universal Studios for a new mission. After being transformed into fun-loving, mischievous minions, riders will set out on a fun-filled and comical 3-D experience.

Guests will have an opportunity to explore Gru’s lair and descend into his secret lab. And they’ll take the floor in a minion-inspired, interactive dance party!

The second new adventure is actually an enhancement of an old Universal favorite, The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man® at Universal’s Islands of Adventure®. The innovative attraction will be re-animated for 2012 to create a high-definition experience designed to give the attraction’s towering visual spaces even more larger-than-life proportions.

The new 4K High Definition digital animation will create an even more life-like sensation by allowing riders to experience even finer details, such as the electricity arching through Electro’s body and the stitching on Spider-Man’s gloves. New details will also be added to the film to take advantage of the new high definition clarity.

Tickets to Rock the Universe, the two-night contemporary Christian music celebration at Universal Studios Florida, are now available for advance purchase.

One of the theme park’s most popular annual events, Rock the Universe is a special after-hours, separate ticket experience scheduled to be held Sept. 9-10, 2011.

The event mixes Universal’s action-packed thrill rides and attractions with soul-stirring music from some of the world’s most popular Christian artists for an unforgettable weekend of fun, faith, love and rock ‘n’ roll.

Scheduled performers for Friday, Sept. 9, include Switchfoot, Dave Crowder Band, Anberlin, Grits, Family Force 5, Rhema Soul and Hyland. Scheduled performers for Saturday, Sept. 10, include Casting Crowns, Third Day, Relient K, Red, Tenth Ave North, Brandon Heath and Live Fish.

In addition to the main stages, Universal Studios will offer a brand new Fan Zone with more live music from Jason Castro, Dara Maclean and For King and Country.

For more information on tickets, go to www.UniversalOrlando.com. Or visit www.WestgateReservations.com for details on discount theme park tickets and discount Orlando vacation packages.

The newest adventure at CityWalk will be “Hollywood Drive-In Golf.” The shopping, dining and entertainment complex plans to build two 18-hole putt-putt courses in an area between the AMC theaters and the resort parking deck.

The new mini golf courses will be designed to incorporate the classic drive-in movie era on the 1950s. The courses, named “The Haunting of Ghostly Greens” and “Invaders from Planet Putt” will offer a family friendly atmosphere based on vintage horror movies and science fiction movies from the ‘50s.

With movie-style scenes, guests will encounter obstacles including a cemetery, a giant spider, a flying saucer and a haunted house. The courses will also introduce other interactive elements, special effects and course-edge lighting for nighttime play.

Course construction is scheduled to begin this summer with the courses officially opening sometime in early 2012.

Despite an abundance of clear skies and sunshine in central Florida, it’s tough to see for miles and miles unless you’re standing on a beach along the Atlantic Ocean or Gulf of Mexico.

You certainly won’t find any high elevations or even many tall office buildings. But there is a handful of attractions that’ll get you high enough to catch a nice, sweeping view of the Florida terrain.

At Disney World’s Downtown Disney shopping and entertainment complex you’ll find “Characters in Flight,” a spectacular tethered helium balloon designed to take guests 400 feet straight up for a 360-degree view of the Walt Disney World  Resort area and beyond.

The bright yellow balloon decorated with Disney characters like Dumbo, Aladdin and Mary Poppins, can be seen from miles around as it soars skyward above the lake at Downtown Disney. Each ride lasts approximately 8-10 minutes. Adult tickets are $18 and children can ride for $12.

Across town at SeaWorld Orlando, you’ll find a similar airborne view aboard the theme park’s 400-foot-tall Sky Tower. The cost to ride to the top of the revolving viewing platform is included with regular theme park admission.

A less expensive view can be found just west of Orlando in nearby Clermont where the city’s Citrus Tower offers a panoramic of the surrounding lakes, rolling hills and developments in Lake County. An elevator takes visitors to the top of the 22-story high tower where there’s a glass enclosed observation area. Admission to the Citrus Tower observation deck is $4 for adults and just $2 for children.

Another spot to get a bird’s-eye-view is from the top of Mount Gushmore at Disney’s Blizzard Beach water park. You can take a ski lift to the top where you’ll find an observation area offering a great view of the surrounding Disney parks and property. And when it’s time to go, you can take the easy way back down or you can choose the faster path down Summit Plummet, a 120-foot water slide. You’ll experience the 12-story water slide drop at speeds of 50-60 miles per hour!

Visit www.westgatereservations.com for information on discount Orlando family vacation packages and theme park tickets.

The music goes on and on at Universal Orlando. While the extended Mardi Gras celebration has barely ended, the theme park is already gearing up for its annual run of summer music.

Scheduled musical artists for this year’s Summer Concert Series at Universal Studios have been announced. The six-week run of Saturday night concerts at the Universal Studios Music Plaza begins June 11 with the Go-Gos.

Summer Concert Series shows begin at 9 pm and are included with regular theme park admission.

Universal’s 2011 Summer Concert Series

June 11       Go-Gos

June 18       Nelly

June 25       Third Eye Blind

July 2           Trey Songz

July 9           Boys Like Girls

July 16         Drake

NASA’s 30-year-old space shuttle program is ending soon. But one of iconic the shuttles will be staying at Kennedy Space Center for all to see.

NASA announced that four museums will be receiving a space shuttle after shuttle program comes to a halt. More than 20 museums had been hoping to receive one of the retired shuttles.

The program’s launch site - Kennedy Space Center in central Florida, will be home to space shuttle Atlantis. The shuttle will go on display at KSC’s Visitor Center.

The Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum will receive space shuttle Discovery, replacing Enterprise, which is currently on display at the museum. Enterprise, a test model that was not built to fly, will be moved from the Smithsonian to to New York City’s Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum.

Meanwhile, the fleet’s other shuttle, Endeavour will be sent to the California Science Center in Los Angeles.

NASA expects that the spaceships could arrive at their new homes within six to nine months after their last flights.

Two space shuttle missions remain on the launch schedule. Endeavour is tentatively slated to launch from Kennedy Space Center at 3:47 pm on April 29, 2011. And the final shuttle launch of Atlantis, STS-135, is tentatively scheduled for 3:40 pm on June 28, 2011.

For additional information on discount tickets to Kennedy Space Center and other Orlando area theme parks, visit http://www.westgatereservations.com/ today.

M-i-c-k-e-y  M-o-u-s-e!

Disney World just made it a little easier for guests to meet its most famous resident! You can now obtain a FastPass to “skip the line” and meet Mickey Mouse at his new meet-and-greet area within Magic Kingdom.

FastPass for Mickey Mouse will work just like the express tickets for other Magic Kingdom attractions like Space Mountain and Splash Mountain. Simply print out a ticket indicating a time frame to come back to the attraction and skip the normal queue line, if you choose.

While Mickey’s previous home in Mickey’s ToonTown Fair has been closed for construction of a new and expanded Fantasyland, you can now find him in the Town Square Theater formerly known as Town Square Exhibition Hall.

The theater, located near the front of the park, features a turn-of-the-century look with posters promoting Mickey as a magician and star attraction.

When it comes to air shows, it’s tough to match the electricity, excitement and awe-inspiring magic of watching the Navy’s precision flying team, the Blue Angels.

The Blue Angels make a rare visit to central Florida this weekend, April 2-3, while headlining the annual SUN ‘n FUN International Fly-In and Expo in Lakeland, FL.

With full performances on Saturday and Sunday, the Blue Angels will be making their first Orlando area appearance since 2008. The team will have practice flights on Friday from 4-5:15 p.m. and shows on Saturday and Sunday from 4-5:15 p.m.

The event, which opens today, also features daily air shows through Sunday with performances by the USAF F-22 Raptor Demo and US Special Ops Command Parachute Team.  The event will host more than 4,000 aircraft, educational forums and workshops, and more than 500 exhibitors.

Friday’s events also feature a Night Air Show with fireworks and a performance by the U.S. Navy Band “Pride.” There will be a hot air balloon launch (weather permitting) on Saturday between 6:30 am and 8 am.

On March 31, the nearby attraction, Fantasy of Flight, hosts its annual Splash-In, where dozens of seaplanes spend the day landing and taking off from Lake Agnes. Sun-’n-Fun attendees can take shuttles to the attraction and get enjoy discount admission.

The Fly-In is being held at the Lakeland Linder Regional Airport. Daily tickets are $35 for adults, $15 for children 11-17. Children 10 and under are free. Daily parking is $5. More ticket packages and event info is available at www.sun-n-fun.org.