Things To Do In SW Florida

The impending return of IAAPA Expo means a surge of attraction vendors, suppliers and theme park operators that are meeting, greeting and taking care of business at the Orange County Convention Center.

The event is known for its sprawling trade floor, featuring more than 1,100 exhibitors and their wares, from stuffed animals and snack foods to enormous themed inflatables and on-the-move thrill rides.

Some Central Florida attractions exercise their home-court advantages to benefit beyond the booths by hosting tours, educational sessions, awards announcements and parties during the weeklong event. Some companies rent out venues along International Drive for networking opportunities.

“Those parties are client-driven, celebration-driven, and a lot of times the events, those in particular, are actually more impactful than the trade show, which is a blitz,” said Phil Wilson, chief development officer of Orlando-based Extreme Legacy, a design and manufacturing firm.

“I feel like where I’ve gained so much value — on a personal and a developmental perspective in my career — is parties, is networking events,” said Wilson, who marks his 33rd IAAPA Expo this year. read more

A very shiny nose is a focal point of this year’s Gaylord Palms ice sculpture display, which opened to the public Friday.

Scenes from “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” have been re-created inside the Kissimmee resort, a section of which is kept at the bone-chilling temperature of 9 degrees Fahrenheit for the duration of “Ice.”

Designers work in a few surprises to the presentations, no easy feat, as the storyline of the beloved 1964 television special is well-trod territory. So, without getting too Grinchy with spoilers — oops, slipped into another holiday classic — here are a few cold, hard facts to know about the 2025 edition of “Ice.”

Red alert

Sure, the title character, famous by 1949 thanks to the catchy Johnny Marks song inspired by a 1939 poem, dominates the scenes. Although “Ice” is made up almost completely of ice, there are exceptions. One example is Rudolph’s nose, so bright. In some scenes, it flashes on and off thanks to batteries or concealed wiring.

A Bumble rap

A big moment inside the exhibit is the crowd-pleasing slide room, where participants can glide down an icy carving. (Yes, it’s freakishly cold.) This year, the design features a chase scene with the ginormous Bumble, the toothy abominable snow monster, with arms outstretched across the room, in hot pursuit of Yukon Cornelius and Hermy. read more

By STAN CHOE, AP Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — An early swoon shook the U.S. stock market on Friday, as Nvidia, bitcoin, gold and other high flyers swung on an increasingly antsy Wall Street, but it quickly calmed.

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After starting the day with a sharp drop of 1.3%, the S&P 500 erased all of it and then meandered up and down before finishing with a slight dip of 0.1%. The Nasdaq composite flipped to a gain of 0.1%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average trimmed its loss to 309 points, or 0.7%, after earlier being down nearly 600. read more

By Pamela de la Fuente, NerdWallet

Holiday decorations and deals are already hitting shelves — and your inbox. Are you ready?

Maybe this season is your Super Bowl. Or maybe you’re more of a “I’ll get deals if I see ’em” person.

We used AI to create a quiz based on articles written by our Nerdy experts. Take it to find out your holiday shopping personality.

So, what’s your score?

About a third of holiday shoppers (31%) in a recent NerdWallet survey say they plan their holiday purchases in advance so they can monitor them continuously for sales before purchasing.

We know some people like that. Our Nerds took the holiday shopping quiz, and the results were a mix.

The Vibes Only Buyer

You tend to impulse buy and rely heavily on the hype of the sale. You often go into the shopping period without a plan…

Honestly, this was me. Don’t @ me! I haven’t been on NerdWallet’s shopping squad that long.

I know I should do my homework, but I have to work, parent, exercise and attempt to get my daily protein allotment. Fitting “create a holiday budget” into my schedule would be the smart move, but when? Guys, who has time? Please tell me someone out there can relate. read more

By JOSH FUNK, AP Transportation Writer

OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — Shareholders of Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern backed the railroads’ proposed $85 billion merger to create the nation’s first coast-to-coast rail network.

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Roughly 99% of both railroads’ shareholders voted to support the largest rail merger in history Friday, but the U.S. Surface Transportation Board must still approve it before the deal can be completed.

Union Pacific CEO Jim Vena said, “Our shareholders see the value and understand this merger will unlock new opportunities to enhance service, growth and innovation.” read more