Things To Do In SW Florida

Universal Orlando has revealed more details about the DreamWorks Land set to open at Universal Studios theme park sometime this summer. Among the elements: a Trolls Trollercoaster ride, Po’s Kung Fu Training Camp and Shrek’s Swamp Meet.

The area is under construction on the footprint of what was formerly known as KidZone. The refurbishment will include character interactions, playgrounds, themed foods and retail outlets.

The Trollercoaster will be “family-friendly,” Universal said, with Caterbus-themed ride vehicles and spiders among their webs. It will be near Poppy’s Playground, which will feature bouncing and climbing structures beneath a 20-foot mushroom. Trolls Treats will be an ice-cream kiosk transformed from Poppy’s boombox seen in “Trolls Band Together.”

Trolls will also be featured in the coaster’s queue, and Poppy and Branch will be incorporated into a fountain in the land.

“Shrek” activities will include the Swamp Meet, where visitors will encounter the title character, Princess Fiona and Donkey; a playground for “little ogres”; interactive lily pads that make music at King Harold’s Swamp Symphony; and Mama Luna Feline Fiesta, an on-screen interactive experience themed to a retirement home for cats, inspired by “Puss in Boots 2: The Last Wish.” read more

On average, women live longer than men. It’s an actuarial fact known by every insurance company and financial planner. At age 65, the life expectancy of a woman is 20 years, while men at the same age have a life expectancy of 17 years.

So, it stands to reason that the 2020 Census Bureau reports that there were 11,271,000 widows in the United States at the time of the survey and only 3,487,000 widowers.

Grieving widows outnumber widowers by a ratio of 3:1.

And that’s the starting point for the new sixth edition of “On Your Own: A Widow’s Guide to Emotional and Financial Well-Being” by Alexandra Armstrong, CFP, and Mary R. Donahue, Ph.D. I praised this book when the first edition came out in 1993, saying on the cover: “If a woman you know is widowed, don’t send flowers — send this book!” And that recommendation is still on the cover of this latest updated version.

Armstrong has been a legendary Washington, D.C.-based financial planner since we first met years ago through the International Women’s Forum. Her firm currently manages more than $1 billion in assets, much though certainly not all of it, owned by women. Donahue is an expert in grief and the emotional aspects of widowhood. read more

A handful of new topiaries have debuted during the 2024 Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. The new greenery-based figures are based on relatively recent Disney films and are part of an event lineup that features more than 70 characters.

Walt Disney World typically mixes things up, finding new locations and ways to spotlight the topiaries. This year, for instance, visitors see a dandelion-blowing Goofy near the upper edge of the floral banks between World Showcase and World Celebration neighborhoods. And this year, there are completely new flower beds for planners to play with and populate thanks to the ongoing transformation of Epcot.

Here’s what to look for – and where – at this year’s flower fest, which runs through May 27.

Wishing well

Who: Asha, Valentino and Star from “Wish,” a Disney animated film released last year.

Where: Front and center, just inside the main entrance of Epcot.

What you’ll see: Asha, the teenage heroine of the film, in a dress of flowers, reaching out toward the wish-granting Star, as Valentino, pet goat of Asha, frolics. (Asha was played by Arian DeBose, and Alan Tudyk gave voice to Valentino.) read more