Things To Do In SW Florida

The Disney Treasure may be a sister ship to 2022’s Disney Wish, but it has enough unique features to give it its own identity.

The ship made its maiden voyage out of Port Canaveral on Dec. 21 beginning a spate of seven-night, year-round Caribbean voyages, taking on longer sailing duties while the Wish continues three- and four-night Bahamas itineraries.

Just like its sister ship, the Treasure features the signature AquaMouse water slide on the top decks amid a bevy of pools and hot tubs. The interior is carved up with a similar footprint for kids play areas, adult spaces, restaurants and theaters.

Feeding its unique identity, though, is the theme of adventure, which Jason Roberts with Walt Disney Imagineering, credited to Walt Disney.

“It was Walt’s love of travel and exploring new, unknown, mysterious places and learning about the culture, learning about their storytelling,” Roberts said. “We really have a truly rich history of storytelling at Disney, and so we focus on all those amazing stories that we’ve told throughout the decades, and focusing on the adventure aspect.” read more

Orange County Regional History Center will drop the curtain soon on its exhibit called “Figurehead: Music & Mayhem in Orlando’s Underground” but not before presenting putting out more music-oriented programming.

A session called “Bootleg TV: Documenting Live Music in Orlando” will feature Dave Segal, who created a local music and art TV series that aired from 1998 to 2006. The Jan. 16 event, running from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., will include clips from Will’s Pub, Sapphire Supper Club, Go Lounge, Skinny’s and other venues that played host to hometown bands and national acts.

The “Bootleg” session is free as part of the monthly Third Thursday event organized by the Downtown Arts District, but registration through the history center is requested.

“A Conversation With the Punk Rock Museum” will feature a talk by Vinnie Fiorello, a founder of Less Than Jake, a Florida-based ska punk band, on Jan. 17. Fiorello, a core member of Las Vegas’ Punk Rock Museum, will discuss his experiences and views about underground music’s relationship with museums. read more

If this theme park year were a laundry detergent, it could be marketed as “new and improved.”  Several major additions to Central Florida attractions were updates, takeovers or re-imagined rides. As another old slogan used to say, recycling makes sense, right?

At Magic Kingdom, Tiana’s Bayou Adventure is a makeover of Splash Mountain with new scenery, characters, story and music. The signature splashdown remains. Country Bear Musical Jamboree, its Frontierland neighbor, modernized its tunes and reopened with a slightly elongated name (just add “Musical”).

At Universal Studios, DreamWorks Land opened in the space previously known as Woody’s KidZone. It features attractions based on “Kung Fu Panda,” “Puss in Boots,” “Trolls” and “Shrek” as well as “DreamWorks Imagination Celebration,” a musical stage show with characters and dancers.

SeaWorld Orlando introduced Penguin Trek, a launch coaster that reuses space from its former Empire of the Penguin dark ride and maintains a fairly close (and definitely chilly) encounter with the birds. read more

Florida officials quietly ended a probe into Walt Disney World’s former Reedy Creek Improvement District, concluding that no laws were broken, according to a newly released memo.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement closed its case “due to a lack of a criminal predicate,” the state’s Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel wrote June 21 to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Miguel’s office, though, found there was a “blurring of the lines” between the Reedy Creek district and Disney, according to the memo, first obtained by News 6 through a public records request.

DeSantis requested the investigation in April 2023 as he waged a nationally watched political battle with the entertainment giant. The probe focused on applicable civil and criminal laws, ethics requirements and the “involvement of Walt Disney World employees and agents” in the district’s previous actions, according to the governor’s office.

Disney and the governor’s office did not respond Thursday or Friday to a request for comment on the memo’s findings. read more

Health care

Howard Brown was appointed chief financial officer for Orlando Health Dr. P. Phillips Hospital.

Law

Attorney Connor R. Nugent has joined the Orlando office of ShuffieldLowman, practicing in commercial real estate.

Attorney Constance C. “CeCe” Phelan has joined the Orlando office of ShuffieldLowman, practicing in corporate and business law.

Attorney Elizabeth C. Rich has joined The Rebecca L. Palmer Law Group, Orlando, as an associate practicing in estate planning, family law, real estate, and probate matters.

Tourism

Antonio Baez, senior director of operations for Meliá Hotels US & Caribbean, including the local Meliá Orlando Celebration Hotel, was appointed as a member of the Kissimmee Cares Committee for Experience Kissimmee, the Official Tourism Authority for Osceola County.

Real estate

Jonathan Young has joined ZOM Living, Orlando, as chief financial officer.

Submit professional appointments, management-level promotions and significant awards for individuals, along with photos as .jpg attachments, to peopleonmove@orlandosentinel.com. read more