Things To Do In SW Florida

The new DreamWorks Land may feel both new and familiar when it debuts at Universal Studios theme park next month.

The area, which is built generally on the footprint of the old Woody’s KidZone, rethinks the use of its structures and gives them an animated spin a la “Shrek,” “Kung Fu Panda” and “Puss in Boots.”

For instance, where Barney the purple dinosaur once frolicked in a fountain, there are now a couple of trolls. So it’s more than a fresh coat of paint happening back here.

Universal gave members of the media a sneak peek Thursday just before the park closed for the day. Not everything was available and operating, but here are five things that were seen.

In ogre words

Most visible upon entrance is an area devoted to “Shrek” characters. A giant grassy stump, which has been visible from beyond the construction wall, dominates the area, and a meet-and-greet with the big green ogre and Donkey is built in. This interaction is much like it has been in a couple of previous locations at Universal. read more

On a recent Sunday, Lauren Groff got out of bed at 3 in the morning, jolted by a mix of anxiety and adrenaline.

It was opening day for the Lynx, Groff’s new bookstore in Gainesville, and her mind raced with all that could go wrong. So she drove over to the store, where she felt reassured by the presence of some 7,000 books, a collection she had helped curate.

“I like being there alone because I’m surrounded by all of my friends,” Groff, a bestselling novelist and three-time National Book Award finalist, said of the books.

A few hours later, she was no longer alone: By 10 a.m., about 100 people had lined up outside the store to watch as Groff cut the ribbon. More than 3,000 people showed up throughout the day for a series of author readings, folk music, live poetry composition and book buying.

Groff and her husband, Clay Kallman, had toyed with opening a bookstore in Gainesville for more than a decade, but the timing never felt right. Groff’s writing career was taking off, and they had two young sons. But last year, as book bans surged across Florida, they decided that their town needed an independent bookstore where titles purged from libraries and classrooms would be on prominent display. read more