Things To Do In SW Florida

Orlando’s theme parks and attractions excel at getting our attention with bombastic additions, intriguing intellectual properties and heavy-hitting hinting.

But subtle little things — developments unlikely to make headlines – can also be big winners.

We’re looking back at 2024 with a grin and have made a list of 10 smile-worthy occasions at our attractions. But since the year has been a mixed bag, we’ll throw in five frowny-face factors, some of which won’t be contained within ‘24.

When you’re smiling

• The single-rider line for Star Wars: Rise of the Resistance ride at Disney’s Hollywood Studios. Yeah, you miss some theming and holograms and the transport trip trick. And part of the journey is so backstage (a hallway with black walls) that you might think you’re being sent to Lucasfilm HR. But single riders still experience the mass stormtrooper hangar bay, and the time savings make Lightning Lane seem far, far away.

• The end of the virtual queue for Tron: Lightcycle / Run at Magic Kingdom. We’ll take our chances with standby status; thanks. And we’ve got our eye on you, Tiana Bayou queue. read more

MIAMI — Florida condominium owners are looking at higher costs from condo associations in the new year, a consequence of a safety law passed by state lawmakers in 2022.

It requires associations to have sufficient reserves to cover major repairs and to conduct a survey of reserves every decade. Because of the law, older condos — found largely in South Florida, according to state records — are facing hefty increases to association payments to fund the reserves and repair costs.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the law in response to the partial collapse of Champlain Towers South, which killed 98 people in Surfside in June 2021. New regulations require condo associations for buildings with three or more stories to file an inspection report focused on structure, maintenance and expected costs for repairs or renovations by Dec. 31.

The report is just a small sector of the large-scale issue in Florida’s condo and property insurance crisis. A May report from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation noted that the average homeowner’s insurance premium is approximately $3,600, about $1,000 more than the national average, according to the National Association of Realtors. read more

Hollywood Rip Ride Rockit roller coaster will be permanently closed at Universal Studios theme park in 2025, Universal Orlando officials confirmed Friday.

The bright orange coaster debuted in 2009 with an extensive playlist of songs that passengers could choose to listen to during the ride.

The ride will shut down in early September of 2025 “to make way for a new experience,” according to a Universal statement shared with the Orlando Sentinel. There were no further details.

Rockit had been the subject of discussion online and among theme park fans, and talk intensified after documents filed with the South Florida Water Management District by Universal indicated that the company intends to dismantle the ride.

Orlando’s theme parks in review, 2024: Reviving and recycling

The coaster’s design includes an immediate 90-degree lift hill that then sends riders down the equivalent of 17 stories and into a twisted loop that runs toward the back of Universal Studios before a return trip over the queue and through a circular pattern that travels near Universal CityWalk.  Early on, the design — as seen from above — was touted as resembling a treble clef. read more

The Space Coast could be seeing another new rocket fly soon as the Federal Aviation Administration on Friday issued a launch license for Blue Origin’s New Glenn.

An FAA statement said Jeff Bezos’ rocket company had “met all safety, environmental and other licensing requirements” for its heavy-lift rocket, which is set up for its debut mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 36.

“The FAA is committed to enabling the success of the U.S. commercial space transportation industry without compromising public safety,” Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation Kelvin B. Coleman said. “By working closely with Blue Origin, the FAA issued this new launch license well in advance of the statutory deadline for the historic maiden flight of New Glenn.”

Jeff Bezos prepares to close the gap in his space race With Elon Musk

The Part 450 commercial license is good for five years, allowing launches of New Glenn as well as return landings of its first stage on a ship stationed downrange in the Atlantic, similar to how SpaceX Falcon 9 rockets’ first stages land on droneships. read more

By Kimberly Palmer, NerdWallet

The investing information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. NerdWallet, Inc. does not offer advisory or brokerage services, nor does it recommend or advise investors to buy or sell particular stocks, securities or other investments.

The start of a new year can bring a surge of motivation around setting new goals, including financial resolutions.

One way to help those goals become reality, financial experts say, is to make them as specific as possible. Then, track your progress, while allowing flexibility for unexpected challenges.

“It’s easier to track progress when we know where we are going,” says Sylvie Scowcroft, a certified financial planner and founder of The Financial Grove in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

That’s why she encourages her clients to set clearly defined goals, often related to paying off a specific debt, saving a certain amount per month or improving their credit score.

Here are more tips from financial experts about crafting 2025 financial goals: read more