Things To Do In SW Florida

By STAN CHOE, Associated Press Business Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The majority of U.S. stocks are rising Wednesday, and Wall Street is drifting in mixed trading following weeks of scary swings, both down and up.

The S&P 500 was 0.4% lower in morning trading and potentially heading for a second quiet day. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 201 points, or 0.5%, as of 10:45 a.m. Eastern time, while more drops for Nvidia and Tesla were sending the Nasdaq composite toward a market-leading loss of 1.2%.

Big Tech stocks have been at the center of the U.S. stock market’s recent sell-off, which earlier this month took the S&P 500 10% below its all-time high for its first “correction” since 2023. Big Tech had rocketed in earlier years amid a frenzy around artificial-intelligence technology to prices that critics called overdone, rising even more quickly than their rapidly growing profits.

Nvidia fell 4.7% to bring its loss for the young year so far to 14.4%. It was the single heaviest weight on the S&P 500 by far. read more

Dave & Buster’s, a national chain operating as a restaurant, sports bar and arcade, has accused a South Florida-based competitor of promoting its growing business with infringing use of a long-held trademark.

Arcade Time USA incorporates the phrase “Eat Drink Play” into its marketing, advertising and promotion of services “categorically identical” to those provided by Dave & Buster’s, according to a lawsuit filed on March 13 in U.S. District Court in Fort Lauderdale.

“Eat Drink Play” has been a Dave & Buster’s trademark since 1988, the lawsuit contends.

The lawsuit states that Arcade Time, which operates locations in Coral Springs, Wellington, Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville, failed to respond to four “cease and desist” letters sent by Dave & Buster’s between December 2023 and June 2024. The letters demanded that Arcade Time drop its “unauthorized” use of the phrase “Eat Drink Play Win” from its website and in-store signage, according to the suit. read more

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN, Associated Press Business Writer

Dollar Tree is selling Family Dollar to a pair of private equity firms for $1 billion after a decade of trying to make its acquisition of the bargain chain fit.

Dollar Tree Inc. acquired Family Dollar for more than $8 billion in 2015 after a bidding war with rival Dollar General.

Neil Saunders, managing director of GlobalData, said that after acquiring the rival chain, Dollar Tree struggled with supply chain issues, poor store locations and other operational difficulties.

“Basically, Dollar Tree bit off far more than it could chew,” he said.

Last year Dollar Tree announced that it planned to close hundreds of Family Dollar stores.

Dollar Tree had been scouting options for Family Dollar for a while and said Wednesday that the sale to Brigade Capital Management and Macellum Capital Management will allow it to focus on its core business.

“This is a major milestone in our multiyear transformation journey to help us fully achieve our potential,” said Mike Creedon, who was made permanent chief executive officer of Dollar Tree late last year. read more

Magic Kingdom’s Buzz Lightyear ride will be updated and enhanced, Walt Disney World officials say.

The changes for Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin attraction will include new ride vehicles with video monitors for scoring updates and handheld blasters that fire color-coordinated beams. The attraction’s current targets will be upgraded to react after being hit by passengers.

“The blasters will be more reactive,” Michael Hundgen, creative portfolio executive producer with Walt Disney Imagineering, said during a program for media members Tuesday.

“The targets will light up. So, you know ‘Oh, I just shot that one with my colored blaster,’ so that it’s very clear that you’re either winning or losing terribly,” Hundgen said.

Disney: 2 Hollywood Studios shows to debut on same day in May

The Tomorrowland ride also will sport a new character, a robot named Buddy.

“Buddy will be your sort of trainer right in the beginning, so you can learn how to use the blaster,” Hundgen said. read more

Walt Disney World is rolling out a couple of deals on theme park tickets, including one that’s half-price for kids. The offers cover the bulk of the summertime travel season.

The 50% Off on Kids Tickets offer is for ages 3 to 9, and it’s 50% off when a three-day ticket (or longer) is purchased. Disney World park ticket prices vary with the date, and the visits must be between May 27 and Sept. 20.

Disney to shut down Buzz Lightyear and give it a new spin

The 3-Day, 3-Park Ticket is unusual for Disney because it is not valid for admission to Magic Kingdom. For three days, the price is $267 — $89 per day — and it’s one park per day, good at Epcot, Disney’s Hollywood Studios and Disney’s Animal Kingdom. It’s in effect between April 6 and Sept. 22.

And the Free Dining Plan Deal is back as part of a four-night (or longer) package at select Disney hotels and includes a park ticket with park-hopping powers. This offer is good on select dates between June 29 and Dec. 22.

Purchases can be made starting March 27. For more details, go to disneyworld.com/offers. read more