Effective Saturday, January 8th, 2022 at 7pm, Lil500 Go Karts in Maitland will close permanently. We thank you Central Florida for supporting our family business since Feb 1st 1968, just shy of 54 years. We hope to see you come out for 1 more ride.
In 1986 British monarch King Henry VIII, or at least a reasonable facsimile, opened his castle at 8984 International Drive in Orlando for a royal feast (two shows a night). In celebration of the King’s birthday there was much merriment (sword fighting, singing, a court jester, etc.) accompanied by wench-served chicken and ribs with unlimited beer, wine, and soft drinks — pretty much the same formula as Medieval Times and similar dinner shows. In 1998, Read More...
Midget City was a Central Florida attraction, with miniature buildings & trains. From 1950 to 1954 it was about a mile north of Dog Track Road. it was sold in 1954, and the new owner moved it to Fern Park – just south of Jai Alai. I think it closed in the early 60s.
Flea World was a flea market located in Sanford, Florida. It was opened in 1981 by Orlando businessman Syd Levy. Billed as “the nation’s largest flea market under one roof”, Flea World included more than 1,700 vendors on a 104-acre site. It was open on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.[1] The Orlando Sentinel described it as “a poor man’s mall with vendors selling everything from tools, toys and bamboo butterfly nets to legal advice, fortune telling Read More...
Pink Floyd, Rush and other laser light shows at the John Young Planetarium
Movieland Drive In Theater – Sanford
Ghostbusters Billboard – Metro Orlando
We put this under “Landmarks” as well. Loved this sign on I-4 as a kid!
The original location of the Hard Rock Cafe was adjacent to the Universal Studios park, and guests could enter the Cafe directly from within the park. The building when seen from above had the shape of a guitar. This photo was taken April 29, 2011. The yellow arrow here points to how the bridge of the guitar used to cross two roads at Universal to the Cafe’s parking lot. The restaurant itself was in the Read More...
DZ at Discovery Zone! Discovery Zone – Altamonte Springs
Rocky’s Arcade – Casselberry
Disney World is marketed as a place of wonder, excitement, and magic. But, there’s a secret side of Disney the company doesn’t want you to see. On the official map of Disney World, there is a blank green mass in the middle of Bay Lake in Orlando, Florida. The mysterious island is not labeled and no one is allowed to enter — not Disney World guests and not even Disney World employees. But two decades Read More...
Blue Man Group is bowing out of Universal Orlando. The quirky show, which ran continuously at Universal for 14 years in the old Nickelodeon Studios building, announced Monday it was leaving Orlando. “Thank you to the Blue Man Orlando cast, crew and staff for more than 6,000 shows,” the company said in a tweet, “And to the millions of fans who shared in our incredible 14 year run!” The show has been closed since the Read More...
Remember Goony golf? This dinosaur sits on Beach Blvd in Jax but was originally at a Goony golf location. Ours was at 17-92 at the railroad bridge in Maitland.
One of International Drive’s first racing establishments, Malibu Grand Prix was a staple of Orlando’s International Drive youth. Started as a Malibu Track and arcade, later a Castle Golf and Games was added next door. It was located directly off I-4 right behind the “Hi Q” hotel off International Dr on American Way. A Homewood suites hotel now sits on the property.
Whether you are a fan of classic suspense filmmaker, Alfred Hitchcock, you love a good Halloween movie, or you’re an annual visitor to the Halloween Horror Nights house at Universal Orlando Resort, then you surely know of the film Psycho. Hitchcock’s Psycho has been paving the way for both horror films as well as boys with mommy issues since 1960. When people think about Universal’s film lots, typically it is Universal Studios Hollywood that comes Read More...
Pleasure Island, we hardly knew ye. By now, I’m certain you’ve all heard the news: On September 27, 2008, Pleasure Island will cease to exist as we know it today. Walt Disney World Resort announced on June 27 that it will be completely re-imagining the Downtown Disney area, with new shopping, dining and other experiences, including a completely re-imagined Pleasure Island. Not quite 20 years old, Pleasure Island will close its six remaining nightclubs: Adventurer’s Read More...
Up until May 2012, this ride was in both Disneyland and Walt Disney World, but the Magic Kingdom version closed down amid the new Fantasyland changes.
Jaws was a ride based off the famous movie with the same name that ran from 1990 to 2012 at Universal Studios.
Universal Studios closed Jimmy Neutron’s Nicktoon Blast in 2011 and transformed it into Despicable Me: Minion Mayhem in 2012.
Epcot closed this ride in 2010 and replaced it with Captain EO Tribute.
A view of the the park in 1936 – This early post card shows one of the bridges across a canal as it appeared when Cypress Gardens opened January 2, 1936. Cypress Gardens opened in the Winter Haven area in 1936 and closed in 2009. Although some of the original gardens still exist, it has mostly been replaced by Legoland.
