Things To Do In SW Florida

With the opening of CommuniCore Hall, Walt Disney World declared the transformation of Epcot to be a done deal. The process, years in the making, has revamped much of the “front” half of the theme park, rearranged its so-called neighborhoods and made construction wall stocks soar.

The beginning of changes is tricky to nail down. The first time the words Epcot and transformation appeared in the same story in the Orlando Sentinel was 2016, followed by executives referring to a “multiyear transformation.” In August 2019, Bob Chapek (then chairman of Disney Parks, Experiences and Products and later CEO)  said the upcoming changes at Epcot would be “the biggest transformation of any park that we’ve ever accomplished.”

Some announced things never became reality, including a mysterious, not-fully-defined Mary Poppins attraction in World Showcase. Here are a few of the attractions and changes that did happen.

Wet, not wild

What it is: Journey of Water, Inspired by Moana.
What used to be there: Innoventions West.
On the plus side: It’s an oasis of sorts, smack in the middle of Future World-ish attractions, and it’s frequently and literally on kids’ levels. Plus, there’s a little old-fashioned Disney magic with the water curtain, motion-activated fun and big green Te Fiti.
On the wish list: Maybe a little less stop-and-go traffic flow, but what are you going to do? read more

Could it be that simple? Was a cheekily titled piece of theater at the Tampa Fringe responsible for Gov. Ron DeSantis’s veto of $32 million in arts funding from the $116 billion 2024-25 state budget, affecting more than 600 organizations statewide and leaving all cultural grant programs unfunded for the first time ever?

That seemed to be what the governor was saying at a June press conference when he referred to the state’s Fringe Festivals, including Orlando’s, as “sexual” in addressing his veto of cultural funding.

“How many of you think your tax dollars should go to fund that? Not many people would do that,” he said.

A tweet from DeSantis communications director Bryan Griffin, showing an advertisement for a show titled “Captain Havoc and the Big-Titty Bog Witches” at Tampa Fringe, reinforced the idea: “This is NOT an appropriate use of taxpayer dollars, but would have otherwise been part of a taxpayer-funded ‘Fringe Festival’ had @GovRonDeSantis not acted to protect taxpayer dollars,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter. read more

When SunRail trains first started rolling down tracks just over a decade ago, it was agreed the state would pay the bills for several years — but local governments along the route would eventually pick up the tab.

Four counties and three cities — Osceola, Orange, Seminole, Volusia, Orlando, Winter Park and Maitland — are now preparing to take over operating and maintaining the 61-mile commuter rail line from the Florida Department of Transportation.

And some local officials are experiencing sticker shock as bills come due in January.

In Maitland, the City Council unanimously agreed June 24 to pull out of a contract with Orange County if a new deal could not reached. That agreement called for the city to pay $281,400 next year — and much more in coming years — for its share of the SunRail station.

“That’s a tough number to swallow,” Maitland Mayor John Lowndes said of the cost. “And we’re facing a lot of other budgetary challenges that we didn’t anticipate this year.” read more

By DAVID KOENIG and ALANNA DURKIN RICHER

Boeing will plead guilty to a criminal fraud charge stemming from two crashes of 737 Max jetliners that killed 346 people, the Justice Department said late Sunday, after the government determined the company violated an agreement that had protected it from prosecution for more than three years.

Federal prosecutors gave Boeing the choice last week of entering a guilty plea and paying a fine as part of its sentence or facing a trial on the felony criminal charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States.

Prosecutors accused the American aerospace giant of deceiving regulators who approved the airplane and pilot-training requirements for it.

The plea deal, which still must receive the approval of a federal judge to take effect, calls for Boeing to pay an additional $243.6 million fine. That was the same amount it paid under the 2021 settlement that the Justice Department said the company breached. An independent monitor would be named to oversee Boeing’s safety and quality procedures for three years. The deal also requires Boeing to invest at least $455 million in its compliance and safety programs. read more