MAGIC 107.7

It's that time of year!

It's the most wonderful time of the year.

click to enlarge Leslye Gale photo via Magic 107.7Earlier this month we learned Disney World would be phasing out their state-of-the-art "magic band" program and introducing a new cutting-edge ticketing system. Now we've learned, over the next couple of weeks they'll be testing out their new facial recognition program on anyone willing to give it a try. – LINK Size matters, right? At least in the world of signs it does, which is why everyone is asking themselves, "Why does the biggest White Castle in the world appear to have the smallest sign?" – LINK Orlando's first-ever "weed-themed" sub shop will open its doors to the City Beautiful next week!

click to enlarge Leslye Gale photo via Magic 107.7Here's a pretty sweet deal! Krispy Kreme is offering an original glazed doughnut free to anyone who can prove they've been vaccinated for COVID-19. – LINK Former UCF Knights basketball player (and son to basketball legend Michael Jordan) Marcus Jordan is reopening a store in Orlando that will honor his father's legacy. Previously located in Disney Springs, Jordan is moving the Trophy Room to downtown Orlando. Local restaurateur Todd Ulmer and venue owner Wendy Connor are planning a Hawaiian-theme bar and restaurant called 808.

click to enlarge Leslye Gale photo via Magic 107.7There's a new pilot program in Central Florida that will allow adults to take out a tablet, along with access to a mobile WiFi hot spot, all at no charge. Here's how it works. – LINK Final touches are being put on a massive statue honoring beloved children's TV star Fred Rogers. The 7-foot-tall statue is being created in France, but once complete will be permanently placed at Rogers' alma mater, Rollins College. – LINK Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings is opening up access to the COVID-19 vaccine to Florida residents 40 years old and older, a move than goes against state policy, but one Mayor Demings says he can defend.

click to enlarge Leslye Gale photo via Magic 107.7It goes against state guidelines, but Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings has said starting Monday anyone age 40 or above can make an appointment to be vaccinated at the Orange County Convention Center. – LINKA favorite tradition among Central Florida students is returning to the theme parks, but Grad Nite looks a little different in 2021. – LINKYesterday, the union that represents Disney cast members asked Florida's governor for a pass to the front of the line.

click to enlarge Leslye Gale photo via Magic 107.7Our friends at Bungalower are hosting a White Castle-themed event this Friday night: While the new White Castle restaurant is still being built in Orlando, the tiny bite-sized burgers will make an appearance alongside. – LINK The pandemic has changed not only how we see the world, but also how we choose to enjoy it, and insiders predict our theme parks may see some of the biggest changes of all. – LINKOrange County Mayor Jerry Demings is still duking it out with Gov. Ron DeSantis over COVID-19 fines. The governor wants to relieve business owners of fines levied during lockdown, but the mayor says the fines are legit and the county is due the money.

click to enlarge Leslye Gale photo via Magic 107.7"The Bike Week 'shenanigans' have officially commenced! Those are the words of the Daytona Beach Police Chief after posting this video from last weekend. – LINKNot bikers, but spring breakers, are responsible for the long lines at area theme parks this week. In fact, there are no reservations available at all next week at Walt Disney World. – LINKIn other Disney news, Disney CEO Bob Chapek yesterday announced an opening date for the long awaited Ratatouille ride.

click to enlarge Leslye Gale photo via Magic 107.7Halloween Horror Nights will back this fall and promises to be bigger and better than ever! – LINKWork has resumed on Universal Orlando Resort's fourth theme park, Epic Universe. We're now learning more about a rescheduled launch date nearly two years later than first announced. – LINKRegulations that kept many vaccine hopefuls away from the vaccination site at the Orange County Convention Center have been lifted. Orange County Mayor Jerry Demings yesterday opened up the vaccine site to anyone who qualifies.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7We're moving in the right direction as far as COVID vaccines are concerned. At Orange County's latest briefing, Mayor Jerry Demings said three separate FEMA-run vaccine sites will open tomorrow in the Orlando area. Here's where — LINKAlso on Monday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis cleared the way for police, fire fighters and K-12 teachers over the age of 50 to receive the vaccine. – LINKThere won't be windmills and clown faces, but Tiger Woods' new putt-putt golf course in East Orlando will have you teeing up for a hole in one.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7Weeks before opening the doors on its largest location in the world, White Castle is teasing Orlandoans with a "ghost kitchen." – LINKAs if we needed another reason to travel the few hours to Florida's beautiful west coast, TripAdvisor has just named St. Pete Beach "Best Beach in America." – LINKWith businesses reopening and the arts scene returning, we thought we'd share a few things to do this week in Central Florida.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7Sitting outside Barnie's Coffee in Winter Park and watching the beautiful people is by far one of my favorite past times. It just got better with Barnie's announcement of a new buttery flavor and a dog friendly "yappy hour." M&M's has taken its over-the-top approach to sweet sales and moved from the Florida Mall to Disney Springs. A move seen as a major blow to the mall but a tasty boon for Disney's hottest new retail market. That's what you'll have to do if you're sailing on one of the MSC cruise ships using robot bartenders to serve guests.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7You know a beer is good when people flock to a laundromat to find it. Twelve Talons brewery is trading up soap suds for suds of a different sort. – LINKIf you're in the Orlando area this weekend, look up at the Amway Center. – LINKIf you find yourself with a little extra time this weekend, head over to the Orlando Science Center. A unique partnership between the City of Orlando and the Orlando Utilities Commission is set up there.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7Initial reports are out and it looks like we might be seeing the light at the end of this dark COVID tunnel. Universal Orlando Resort and Sea World are looking at numbers in the black while Disney is expected to release their numbers later this week. – LINKMeantime, the cruise industry is struggling to put its economic recovery plan in place as it's hit with yet another roadblock. Canada has now shut its borders to all large ships until at least next year. – LINKDespite pictures showing the opposite to be true, Tampa's mayor said their Super Bowl mask policy was in place and and was effective at last weekend's events.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7If you're not feeling very romantic this Valentine's Day, Madame Tussauds Wax Museum is looking for anyone looking to shed some old, dead "partner" weight and here's how. – LINK We like to do our own taste testing, but when it comes to big game food, we sent out the experts. Here is the Bite Squad's list of football favs. – LINK Cheers to two local eateries selected by Yelp for their new national list, "Ones to Watch 2021: Black-Owned Food Businesses."

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7Ahead of a scheduled Orlando opening in March, fast-casual Chicago hot-dog chain Portillo's has parked its " Beef Bus " food truck in Lake Eola. He's a pretty loud guy, but his new neighbors already love him! – LINKA Florida judge has just backed renewing a permit for a North Florida business to pipe hundreds of thousands of gallons of spring water a day to a nearby bottling plant. – LINKIf you're a fan of delicate mochi donuts, you're in luck. The maker of these Japanese delights is opening a permanent Orlando location and is shooting for Valentine's Day opening.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7A federal investigation is underway after a manatee was spotted in the Homosassa River with the word Trump scraped into its back. – LINKIt's National Pizza Month and a few local eateries are offering great discounts to fellow workers in the restaurant business. – LINKThis comes as welcome news to lots of Central Floridians: Orange County government has extended the deadline for its COVID-19 Eviction Diversion Program into early 2021.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7Possibly just days away from receiving the first Covid-19 vaccines, AdventHealth Orlando will be among the first to distribute them. — LINK After looking back at the crazy year of 2020, it appears we love our dogs and we love to name them after a pandemic. This weekend only, the Hello Kitty Café truck will be parked in Central Florida and here's where. — LINKThis is the perfect weather to get out and enjoy the new outdoor dining spaces offered by local favorites like, The Ravenous Pig and Lukes. — LINKMagic 1077 brings you holiday tunes 24/7, but if you've been hungry for some live Christmas music, check out this weekend's Songs of the Season performance at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts Center.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7Uncork, if you will, the idea of Florida bar owners selling alcohol to-go. Area bars started the practice at the start of Covid-19 and a couple of state senators now say it's a pandemic practice that should stick around. – LINKIt's beginning to look a lot like Disney at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Starting this Sunday, for the next few months, the Frontyard Festival will feature a classic Disney film. – LINKAs the NBA prepares to return to the Amway Center, Big Storm Brewing is also getting ready for the season, opening its fourth location at the home of the Orlando Magic.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7Krampus is coming, Krampus is coming!! It's all happening tonight (Dec. 4th) and while it's not the normal Krampusnacht of days gone by, it does offer a great way to safely celebrate the holidays with friends. – LINKA tiger nearly rips off the arm of a worker at Tampa's Big Cat Rescue, the big cat sanctuary owned by Tiger King's Carole Baskin. According to reports, this isn't the tiger's first violent incident. – LINKAs Orlando theme parks announce more layoffs and deeper cuts, a huge entertainment complex in Miami is moving ahead with plans to open sometime next year.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7The Orlando Philharmonic will present its Holiday Pops Concert this weekend in Winter Park. – LINK Today is Cyber Monday, but taking a look at the record breaking numbers from a few days ago, it would appear most of us started shopping on Black Friday. – LINK Along with it being Cyber Monday, today also marks the end of the 2020 hurricane season. I think we can all agree, we were pretty lucky this year. – LINK A top electric-car manufacturer and the City Beautiful have announced a new partnership to try out a municipal fleet of electric vehicles.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7Florida Sen. Rick Scott is self-quarantining after coming in contact with someone who is COVID-positive. – LINK The good news is that a vaccine doesn't seem to far off. – LINK With Thanksgiving just over a week away, what are your plans? Since I always host our family dinner, I decided I would get tested for Covid, along with my co-host Chad Pitt. Just in case you forgot to plan ahead, there's a company in town offering last-minute Covid testing.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7I can't remember the last time we were playing Christmas music while reporting on a hurricane and preparing for a pandemic-filled holiday season. But since that's our reality, a local company is doing last-minute Covid testing for holiday travelers. – LINK If you have animal lovers in your family, you'll be happy to hear that Wild Florida is now offering annual passes for some of the sunshine state's most adventurous residents. – LINK There's nothing better on a rainy day than a fresh homemade pizza and we know just where you can get one. Plus, pizza isn't the only thing Antica Pizzeria does old school.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7Florida's newly elected and returning legislators will report to Tallahassee next week. – LINK Also happening next week, the official groundbreaking for what will become the largest free-standing White Castle in the world! – LINK And while we're talking burgers, Orlando's Burger Week is bigger and better than ever. Here's where you can get a juicy, signature burger for just five bucks! Chris Nikic is the first person with Down Syndrome to complete the grueling Ironman triathlon.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7Picture sitting under the stars with a glass of chilled white wine and Marilyn Monroe on the big screen. Thanks to the creative folks at the Enzian Theater in Maitland, you'll be able to enjoy the classics under the stars staring this week. – LINK Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency over the weekend as Central Florida braces for a possible midweek hit from Eta. – LINK We're smack dab in the middle of Orlando's Burger Week, that time of year where you can find delicious burgers all over Central Florida for just five bucks!

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7With record numbers of Covid cases being reported, Orlando will be offering free, drive-thru testing at Barnett Park starting next week. – LINK When White Castle slides into Central Florida, it'll be in the biggest of ways. The tiny hamburger giant has broken ground on its first Central Florida location and already it's being hailed as the biggest White Castle franchise in the world. Brightline is already building a route between Tampa and Orlando, but a line to South Florida has been knocked around for years. Universal Orlando Resort is opening its new "Endless Summer Resort Dockside Inn and Suites" next month, offering an affordable alternative for families.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7We've seen gators on golf courses before, but the sight never gets old to me. This scene played out on a golf course in Melbourne. – LINK It's the end of an era with the closing of the popular LGBTQ hotspot, The Parliament House. – LINK Calling all Mad Max fans, there's a special showing this weekend: Enzian and Ace Cafe are teaming up to bring us a special presentation of. – LINK Meet the extremely pregnant woman who wanted to vote so badly this year, she insisted on stopping on the way to the hospital.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7If the state of the nation isn't reason enough to head to the polls this year, Winter Park's New Standard just gave you one more reason to show up on election day. – LINK After 45 years of revelry, Orlando's famed Parliament House is closing its doors permanently on Monday and here's why. – LINKOh, and have we mentioned you can drink on the streets of Orlando this weekend? You can and it's all in the name of a safe Halloween. – LINKIn the name of saving tourism, Florida's Governor, Ron DeSantis, is encouraging the lifting of travel restrictions for people from the U.K.— LINK

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7Isn't it so 2020 that we have some of the best weather we've ever had on a Halloween yet Covid is keeping many of us at home? Fortunately, some things are even bigger than a pandemic and one them will be visible this weekend. – LINK Almost as popular as a perfect Harvest Moon, Orlando's Burger Week is back and here's where you can get a great burger for just 5 bucks! – LINK This should come as great news to all of the people forced to drive I-4 from Tampa to Orlando. The private rail system Brightline says they'll be up and running by 2025.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7If you haven't checked out the Titanic Exhibit on International Drive in Orlando, you're really missing out. For Halloween, the Titanic is bringing out its spookiest stories. Tonight is the night for "Bill & Ted's Excellent Halloween Adventure" reunion on YouTube. – LINK We're still trying to get a group together for this year's special pre-Halloween showing of the Rocky Horror Picture Show at the Wayne Densch Performing Arts Center. – LINK Okay, turn away if you're afraid.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7The Greater Orlando Performing Arts Relief, or GOPAR, was established earlier this year and is now the recipient of a virtual Bill & Ted's Halloween Reunion planned for Thursday, Oct. 22nd. – LINK Let's all agree, Halloween 2020 will look like none other. Don't worry though, Sour Patch Kids have come to the rescue in what they're calling a "reverse Halloween event" – LINKAn Orlando manufacturing company is making national headlines today after it's president reportedly sent out letters some employees found threatening. And here's why. – LINK If the pandemic has thrown a wrench into your holiday cooking, here are a few ideas if you'd like to dine-in or take-out this year.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7We love this idea so much and it won't last forever. AMC is offering up some of its locations for just $99 and you can bring up to 19 of your own friends! – LINK If you've been looking for a tasty way to support your favorite local restaurant affected by COVID-19, you'll want to buy tickets to next week's Mask-For-Aid Ball. – LINK The world must be getting back to normal. Our favorite local dive bar, Wally's Mills Avenue Liquors, is back open and started pouring for costumers this past weekend.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7For the past twenty-five years, folks have flocked to the Rosen Plaza Hotel on Thanksgiving Day to enjoy their sumptuous buffet.A tradition some of would have thought would have been postponed this year, but apparently not. - LINK Did you know Florida had a reptile law?No worries if you didn't because a judge has just tossed the Florida reptile law, deeming it unconstitutional. - LINK The Walt Disney Company has undoubtedly taken a financial hit this year.They are, however, using this slower time to review some seemingly out of date training policies. - LINK Florida's governor says our decision to close schools last spring was one of our country's worst decisions.This as tens of thousands of kids are returning to the classroom.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7The news of massive layoffs at Orlando's theme parks, as well as the Orlando International Airport, hit Central Florida hard this week.With so many people out of work, state leaders are pushing hard to reopen. — LINK You've tasted his dishes at the Smiling Bison and 1921 Mount Dora.Now, renowned chef Josh Oakley will grace the kitchen at, The Monroe.Set to open in downtown Orlando's Creative Village next year. — LINK This life altering pandemic of 2020 may have put some of Central Florida's most creative minds out of work, but you know what they say, "you can't keep a good man (or woman) down. "That's definitely the case with former Universal Orlando HHN creative development show director, Patrick Braillard.we now know as Braillard is the brains behind Central Florida's newest haunt, the Forum of Fear.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7You may already be a fan of Publix and Instacart, the shopping service that allows you to do your grocery shopping from the convenience of your kitchen table.Winn Dixie is now jumping onto the grocery delivery bandwagon, with the announcement they've partnered with Uber Eats. – LINK We were all disappointed when Elton John canceled his "Yellow Brick Road Tour" at Orlando's Amway Center.Today, Elton announced the tour will resume.Unfortunately, not until 2022 and Orlando is set for April of that year. – LINK If you're looking for safe, family fun this Halloween (and who isn't) Gatorland is bringing back it's spooky offering all month long. – LINK Here's a number that will blow your mind.Cruise ship behemoth, Carnival, is losing $17,000.00 a minute!The question is, "can Carnival Cruise Lines stay afloat"?

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7The Tampa Bay Buc's newest star took to the internet to hawk a new vitamin from his TB12 line, claiming it will help you combat the corona virus. Really Tom Brady? - LINK As Disney slowly begins looking into how it will fully re-enter public life, it appears Epcot may be the park that requires the most adjustments. - LINK Enzian and Bungalower offer up a special drive-in movie and it sells out in 30 minutes. In the middle of all this pandemic talk, Cocoa Beach is debuting what is somewhat of a local landmark.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7The magic is slowly making it's way back to Central Florida. - LINK Listen up sports fans, professional basketball and soccer are making their way back onto the field and it may happen right here in Central Florida. - LINK If you're still commuting throughout Central Florida, you've probably seen the signs. Massive closures are headed for the ever evolving I-4 tomorrow and, just so you know, they'll be here a while! Monday, Orlando's Mall at Millenia opened with some new rules, but the good things is, they have the same great inventory.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7As COVID season melts into hurricane season, what will change as far as the state's ability to respond quickly during a storm? - LINK We may be looking at re-entering society, but we're not there yet. Local theaters and restaurants are going to need a little extra support for a while and here's a great way to support local entertainment while getting entertained. - LINK We sure do love our crowds in Central Florida, but how will our theme parks and sporting venues, like the Amway Center, handle the crowds once we get back to business.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7It's going to look a little different, but Universal Orlando says it has no plans to cancel Halloween Horror Nights. - LINK While we're on the subject of Universal, a leaked survey shows some of the changes the entertainment giant is looking to make once it reopens. - LINK So this shouldn't come as a surprise, but Florida apparently has the worst unemployement system in the entire nation. - LINK There are lots of dissapointed fans as nearly every show scheduled this spring has been canceled. Here's how some super fans are fighting to keep the"con-spirit" alive.

click to enlarge Photo via Magic 107.7At least it seems the tide is turning and we're no longer tallking about what is shutting down but rather how we're going to reopen the sunshine state. Governor DeSantis yesterday named a special task force to head the state's re-entry efforts. - LINK Stuck at home with the one you love? Experts say the best way to avoid a COVI-divorce is to communicate. The Black Rooster will send your favorite tequila drinker a margarita-gram!!

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