Things To Do In SW Florida

Gatorland has a convenient way of disposing of Halloween decor. It lofts the attraction’s pumpkins to its resident reptiles and other animals.

The South Orange Blossom Trail attraction will hold its Great Pumpkin Toss and feed the gourds to its alligators, crocodiles and more on Sunday, the final day of its Gators, Ghosts and Goblins Halloween event.

The schedule begins at 11 a.m. at the South Main Lake of Gatorland, followed by 1 p.m. in the Jungle Crocs area and 2:30 p.m. at the Breeding Marsh Observation Tower. The sight of mighty jaws chomping down on pumpkins has proven to be a crowd-pleaser over the years, Gatorland says.

Gatorland’s capybaras, parrots, bobcats, and Florida panthers also get involved in the pumpkin actions.

Gators, Ghosts and Goblins includes activities such as the Swamp Ghost’s Monster Museum, Cryptid Petting Zoo (and Cryptid Express train ride), Godwin’s Gourd Farm, children’s Halloween costume parade, trick-or-treat candy station and spooky characters including the Skunk Ape.  Specialty vendors are scattered across the attraction, which marked its 75th anniversary this year. Regular Gatorland events continue as scheduled. read more

Anticipation is rising for Epic Universe, the theme park that Universal Orlando is crafting. The announcement of an official opening day and the first phase of ticket sales has Epic front-of-mind in the attractions community.

Epic Universe will be the first theme park to open in Orlando in more than 25 years. Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened in 1998, followed by Universal’s Islands of Adventure in 1999.  Bill Clinton was president, Cher’s “Believe” topped the charts and the newsy virus was attached to Y2K.

A generation of Central Floridians wasn’t around for those big events. Epic’s design and promotions may reflect that eager audience.

“It is the first full new theme park domestically in quite a long time and certainly the first in the social media age. So I think it’s hard to avoid the excitement,” said Alicia Stella, owner of Orlando ParkStop website.

“There’s a whole new set of everything. As a theme park fan, it’s every little detail, like down to new attractions, new lands, new background music, new foods to try, new sights, sounds and smells,” she said. “It’s the full gambit, and it’s not just one land or one ride. It’s a whole theme park.” read more

By Erin El Issa, NerdWallet

Holiday shopping season is upon us, and the pressure is on, or at least it feels that way for some parents. A new NerdWallet survey, conducted by The Harris Poll, finds that 48% of parents with children under 18 feel pressure to spend more money on holiday gifts than they’re comfortable spending.

According to NerdWallet’s annual holiday spending report, Americans are spending quite a bit more on holiday travel and gift shopping than last year. And parents plan to spend more than those who are not parents of kids under 18. Parents of minor children who plan to purchase gifts this holiday season say they’ll spend $1,070, on average, compared to $860, on average, among those who are not parents of minors. And parents of kids under 18 who plan to spend on flights or hotels this holiday season will spend a whopping $2,610, on average, for these travel expenses, compared to those who are not parents of minors who plan to spend $2,131, on average.

Having kids can be expensive any time of year, but the holidays may up the ante. Here are five tips for parents trying to keep costs in check this holiday season. read more

Health care

Vascular surgeon Dr. Calvin Williams has joined AdventHealth Medical Group and will care for patients at both AdventHealth New Smyrna Beach and AdventHealth Daytona Beach.

Hospitality

Jason Brooks was appointed chief operating officer and partner at Artistry Restaurants, Winter Park.

Ricardo Merchant was appointed general manager of Avanti International Resort, Orlando.

Public relations

Laura D’Abbondanza has joined Paquin Public Relations as PR account director in the agency’s Maitland office.

Other

Jessica Ganson was promoted to senior vice president, human resources, at Heart of Florida United Way, Orlando.

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

If you are not satisfied with your current Medicare plan, you have until December 7 to change plans during the open enrollment period, which started on October 15. During this period, you can select a new part D drug plan, a new Advantage plan, switch from traditional Medicare into an Advantage plan, or switch from an Advantage plan into a traditional Medicare plan. Changes you make will go into effect January 1, 2025.

If you are currently covered by a Medicare plan, you should have received by now an annual notice of changes that will go into effect in 2025. If you haven’t received the notice, contact your provider as soon as possible.

You may have to go online to determine the list of covered drugs available in 2025 for your plan. For 2025, there is a new $2,000 cap for out-of-pocket drug costs. That limit applies to both stand-alone Part D drug plans and Advantage plans. If you have recently started taking new drugs, or have been informed that you will do so in the future, you should take into consideration the $2,000 cap when you review the available drug options. read more