Legoland Florida unveils park plans, starts ticket sales

by Leigh Caldwell on

The opening of Legoland Florida is still 12 months away, but tickets went on sale Thursday on the new theme park’s Web site.

The reward for buying in advance – way, way in advance, in this case – is a big discount. Tickets are $65 for adults and $55 for chidlren ages 3-12 and seniors ages 60 and older. An annual pass, which is good until the end of 2012, is on sale now for $99.

And if you’re already convinced you’re going to love Legoland Florida for life, the park is also selling an “Ambassador” pass for $2,500. It offers lifetime admission, preferred parking, special events and discounts on food and merchandise.

Legoland Florida officials also detailed the layout of the park, which will include 10 lands: The Beginning, Fun Town, Miniland USA, Castle Hill, Land of Adventure, XTreme, LEGO City, Imagination Zone, Pirate Cove and DUPLO Village.

The centerpiece of the park, Miniland USA, will include Lego versions of several Florida landmarks including Kennedy Space Center and Key West’s Mallory Square.

Legoland Florida is being built on 150 acres in Winter Haven, Florida, on the site of the former Cypress Gardens theme park. Many of the original gardens, including a 30-acre wooded grove, will be maintained at the new park.

Legoland Florida will be geared toward families with children ages 2 to 12 with more than 50 rides, shows and interactive attractions.

Modern Pastry: Five steps to ordering in Boston’s North End

by Tom Johansmeyer on

The line was nearly out the door when I stepped up to Modern Pastry. Though its neighbor, Mike’s, gets all the attention, every Bostonian knows that Modern is the best in the city, and just the thought of a cannoli from that establishment elicits Pavlovian salivation. I hadn’t been back since moving to New York six years ago, but everything was as I remembered … except the scale. Though the bakery hadn’t changed in size, my senses were nearly assaulted by the colors, cakes and smells. I hadn’t remembered just how powerful a presence Modern has.

The variety with which you’re faced upon entering can be intimidating. Everything looks great, and it can be a nightmare trying to decide what will actually go in your bag. I knew exactly what I wanted, but I have a history with the place. For a first-timer, or even an old pro with broader horizons, whittling your order down from “everything” can be a daunting undertaking.

Meanwhile, the other people in that long line are unlikely to have a lot of sympathy. There are plenty of locals mixed in, which is why the line tends to move quickly. They know how to order. So, if you hold one up with a series “ummmms” and “errrrrs,” you’ll get more than a few dirty looks.

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So, how do you place your order, look like a seasoned veteran and avoid the ire of the locals? Follow these five simple steps:

1. Set boundaries: do you know how much you want to spend? That’s an inherent constraint on your order. If your budget is small, know right away that you’ll have to make some difficult choices. Be ready to live with them. Also, it’s smart to accept that you won’t walk away with everything you want, but let’s be realistic: you could spend the rest of your life trying to eat the results of your dream order.

2. Have cash: Modern doesn’t take credit cards. There are plenty of signs to this effect, which means you’ll have to give up waiting and dash off to an ATM. If you don’t bring cash with you and aren’t traveling alone, have one person wait while the other runs to get some green. Be sure to run, because as I mentioned, the line does move quickly.

3. Think ahead: look around as soon as you step inside the door, and give yourself a second to get over the shock. It’s going to happen. Then, focus. Make some tough decisions, and get your order straight. By the time you get to the counter, you should have it rehearsed and be able to spit it out quickly.

4. Don’t tell your life’s story at the counter: sure, you can slip in a pleasantry, but don’t forget why you’re there: to order pastry. The staff has already served a lot of people, and there will be many more behind you. Don’t add to their stress by chatting about how quaint the shop is or how much fun you’re having in Boston.

5. Skip the tables: you’ll know to do this if you read the many signs: to eat at the tables, you sit down first, and someone will come by to take your order. There’s a way things work at Modern Pastry, and the rules are in place for a reason.

Winter Park offers free lift tickets for early ski season

by Kraig Becker on

The calendar may say that winter is still two months off, but the snow is already falling at Winter Park Resort, located an hours drive northwest of Denver, Colorado. Last week, the resort received more than 10 inches of snow on the mountain, and they are already gearing up for a great ski season ahead.

A few days back Winter Park announced their “Ski and Ride FREE” promotion, which gives visitors the opportunity to earn free lift tickets for the early ski season. The deal includes one free lift ticket for each nights stay booked at the lodge between November 17 and December 25 of this year, with a minimum of two nights required. This means that skiers and snowboarders who visit Winter Park during that period can not only take advantage of their already affordable room rates, they’ll also get to hit the slopes on the cheap as well.

Winter Park Resort offers access to three mountain peaks – Mary Jane, Vasquez Ridge, and Winter Park, under a single lift ticket, and with 134 total runs, a Superpipe, and 25 different lifts, the snow park has something to offer everyone. While the slopes are geared more for the intermediate and advanced skiers, beginners will find plenty of great trails as well. The more adventurous and experienced skiers will want to try the guided backcountry skiing option, which offers pristine snow that is only accessible by Snowcat. So, whether you’re just learning to shred or you’re an old ski bum, you’ll find plenty love in Winter Park.

The 2010 ski season at Winter Park Resort opens November 17th and season passes can be purchased now by clicking here.

Hotels and spas use corporate retreats for sweet financial revenge

by Tom Johansmeyer on

It’s hard to tell who wants a business travel rebound: business travelers or the hospitality companies that cater to them. Routine road warrior jaunts suck, but there are executive retreats, training programs and other opportunities that do appeal even to the most jaded of the white collar folks.

So, the hotels are fighting to get business travelers back, according to Business Insider, and they’re getting creative. Luxury properties, including spas, were nailed by the financial crisis and ensuing recession. They have a lot of ground to make up. To do this, they’re coming up with new programs to get the corporate folks to open their wallets. Some of them are pretty bizarre, even retaliatory. Business Insider reports:

Their new approach is luring clients back to their bedrooms for “must-have” bonding and training sessions that put execs in compromising positions.

Retreats that specialize in corporate getaways have been cooking up programs that encourage extremely awkward and potentially dangerous bonding activities, like fake-trying to kill each other.

Call it the, “You’re putting us out of business? We’re going to push you off tall objects, hike mountains naked with 50 pounds on your back, try to kill each other and make you beg for more” – strategy.

Even with these implications, the response from the business world still seems to be a resounding, “Thank you, sir! May I have another!”

Bank of America, Google and Toyota are among the companies that have gotten on board with these programs. Some of them do get pretty weird, such as:

The icing on the cake is The Death Race, where co-workers sit for 45 minutes in an ice-broken pond, gulp a gallon of milk (even if you’re lactose intolerant), crawl under barbed wire and sprint up a greased-up ramp.

Don’t you remember when the corporate people were just interested in making money? It was all so much easier back then …

[photo by Boss Tweed via Flickr]

Steven Slater’s home burglarized by partner’s brother: insult added to injury

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If Steven Slater was going to use the cash under his mattress to repay JetBlue, he needs to put together another plan. The day after he plead guilty to a felony charges (which could be knocked down to misdemeanors in year), it was revealed that the former flight attendant‘s home was robbed.

John Rochelle, Slater’s partner’s brother, is accused of having absconded with a laptop, printer and microwave on October 14, 2010, reports MSNBC. Rochelle is waiting to be arraigned on second-degree burglary chares. Queens District Attorney Richard Brown is calling it a “crime of opportunity.”

Howard Bragman, Slater’s publicist, said the former flight attendant didn’t have anything to say about it.

As part of his plea agreement, Slater has to pay JetBlue $10,000 to compensate for the costs he generated when dropping the emergency slide.

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