Back in the early 1980’s spring training was a sleepy affair, held in small wooden ballparks, that were for the most part, built in the 1920’s and 1930’s. That changed in the mid-80s with the opening of the Houston Astros in Kissimmee at the (at the time) state-of-the-art mega complex. Pro-sports teams, are nothing if not copycats, so soon every team wanted a joint like the ‘Stros had — the ballpark wars were on.

Cities in Florida and Arizona tripped over themselves running for their checkbooks to lure teams with the promise of bigger and better complexes. One of the first was the sleepy Gulf-Coast-fishing-burg of Port Charlotte. Located about 30 miles up the coast from Fort Myers, Port Charlotte has always been southwest Florida’s red headed stepchild — smaller than Fort Myers and less chic than Naples. City fathers set out to change this image, and the first step was to be “major league”. They built what was essentially a replica of the Astros’ Kissimmee complex and lured to town Texas’ other team, the Rangers.

Fifteen short years later, when the original lease ran out, the once state-of-the-art ballpark had, of course, been surpassed by newer, bigger, and better parks in other cites. In 2003, showing the undying loyalty pro-sports teams are known for, the Rangers abandoned Port Charlotte for Surprise, Arizona. This left Port Charlotte with an empty, antiquated ballpark and spring training complex.

In stepped the Tampa Bay Rays. Training just down the street from their regular season home in St. Pete since their inception in 1998, the Rays were looking to extend their fan base down the Gulf Coast. They knocked on Port Charlotte’s door and struck a deal. In 2009, after $27 million in renovations, the Rays moved into their new, “old” home.

The renovations, by noted ballpark architects Populous, have done wonders for the place. New clubhouses, batting cages, new seats, a new façade for the grandstand, all new concessions and a team store are some of the highlights. The grandstand interior was for the most part retained, so the stadium lacks the open concourses of some of the newer parks. This, however, is cleverly made up for by the stadium’s defining feature, the baseball boardwalk. The boardwalk rings the entire outfield, allowing fans to walk 360 degrees around the park.

Concessions ring the boardwalk including beer, gyros, burgers, and chicken sandwiches. On a side note, the cheese steak sandwich is the best I’ve ever had outside of Philly and is located next to the boardwalk’s defining feature, the tiki bar in left center field. The beer selection includes Sam Adams, Yuengling, and Summit Pale Ale, but alas, no hometown Cigar City brew.

The renovations by Populous and the Rays are, in my opinion, brilliant. They give the place a more intimate and relaxed feel than most of the other, newer spring training parks. There are places to stand, or sit on barstools, and chat baseball with your fellow fans or even the players. It’s almost like an updated version of the older spring parks that brought fans and players close together for one glorious month every spring, when all players are equal, and all teams in first place.

“Remember all the movies Terry we’d go see, to learn how to walk like the hero’s we thought we had to be.” Backstreets, Bruce Springsteen

Here at badDOLPHIN, we love a good flick. Especially a good indie flick. We also love a good party. The Naples International Film Festival sounded like the perfect marriage of both, so we headed to North Naples to check it out.

Except for the Opening Night Gala, held at the Naples Philharmonic Center, and the children’s flicks, which are held at the Norris Center in Cambier Park, the entire festival is held at the über-lux Silverspot Cinemas in the über-trendy Mercato “lifestyle” development on Route 41 and Vanderbilt Drive in North Naples. The Mercato is Naples’ night-spot-du-jour, and the Silverspot, well, the Silverspot  is THE cinema all other multiplexes should model themselves after. Chicly decorated, the lobby has a full-service restaurant with beer and wine available at the concession stands. The theaters themselves are awesome. Killer leather lounge chairs with built-in drink holders and 60 inches of leg room. Not to mention the state-of-the-art sound and digital projection system. You pay a few bucks more for your movie ticket, but in our opinion, it’s well worth it.

We chose a collection of shorts titled, “Love and Laughter” to kick things off.   Standouts in this collection were, “God of Love,” “Mind the Gap,” and “Le Petit Dragon” — all were done extremely well and all were funny as hell.

Leaving the theater, we struck up a conversation with a gentlemen we later learned was Terry Hitchcock, the star of the documentary, “My Run” which chronicles his running of 75 consecutive marathons to honor both his late wife who died of cancer and the plight of single parents. After speaking with Terry, we decided to go see “My Run” the next day and it was both moving and inspiring. If you get a chance to see it in your city, please do. If not, at least put it in your Netflix queue; the DVD will be released next year. Post film, both Terry and director Tim VandeSteeg were present in the theater to answer questions and talk about the making of the film — this was an incredibly cool perk for us movie-goers.

The only downside of the film was the parking situation. The Mercato has limited spacing in its’ garages and, as the festival grows, this will be an issue that will need to be addressed. Perhaps next year they can park cars at the nearby Pavilion Shopping Center and shuttle them across 41 to the Mercato. After our parking garage adventures, we needed a brew to settle down, we made sure to stop at the Naples Pub for a cold one before hitting the theater.

In our opinion, the Naples International Film Festival is a fantastic way to spend the  weekend. We can definitely see it continuing to grow and thrive here in Naples. We loved the whole atmosphere — there were bands playing all around the Mercato and just a general feel-good vibe. Couple that with awesome weather and I can hardly think of a better way to pass the time than enjoying a couple brews and a couple of great movies in an awesome setting.

California Grill
at Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort

“I’d like to rest my heavy head tonight on a bed of California Stars.” Wilco and Woody Guthrie
Among us Disney geeks and freaks, the great debate over which Walt Disney World restaurant is the overall best will seemingly never be settled.

There are those that favor Le Cellier Steakhouse in Epcot’s Canada Pavillion and those who lean towards Victorian elegance of Victoria and Albert’s in the Grand Floridian Resort. And, there are even others who favor Narcoosee and Citricos, both located at the Grand Floridian Resort, as well and the Yachtsman’s Steakhouse and the Flying Fish at the Yacht Club and the Boardwalk respectively.

In our illustrious badDOLPHIN opinion, reinforced by a recent visit, THE best restaurant is located on the 15^th floor of the Contemporary Resort – the California Grill.

Since its opening in the mid-90s, the menu slightly changes each time we visit, but the view, atmosphere, service and food have, if anything, has improved over the years. It remains our favorite late night Disney dining spot.

The biggest improvement is the reservation check-in process, which is now located on the second floor of the Contemporary Resort. Once checked in, you are escorted to the restaurant in a private elevator. This high-security check-in was a necessary move in response to the über amount of dumbasses who packed the restaurant nightly to see the Magic Kingdom’s Wishes fireworks show from this primo location. Some of these dumbasses were quiet and respectful, but for the most part, these douchebags thought they were in Denny’s. Kudos to Disney for remembering the guests that take dining (ahhem, joeA and myself) seriously with their decision to close off the 15^th floor to restaurant patrons only.

Drink Selection
With a name like, “California Grill,” one would expect the wine list to be extensive, and it is, but beer drinkers like joeA, can’t help be disappointed. Considering how prolific microbrews have become, one would think a trendy restaurant like this would have an extensive beer list as well, but alas, no. joeA felt lucky to find Sierra Nevada Pale Ale amongst the six or so microbrews they had intertwined with the usual swill from Anheuser Busch, Coors, and Miller. This is something Mickey really needs to jump on, the local 7-11 has a better bottle selection.

Food Menu
The appetizer selection is plentiful and runs the gamut from sushi to flatbread pizzas to goat cheese raviolis, all of which are, as they say, DE-LISH.

As for the main course, we both usually get the Oak Fired Filet of Beef, which absolutely rocks. Again in our illustrious badDOLPHIN opinion, this is not only the best filet on Disney property, but the best filet on the planet.

Every once in a while we stray from the filet and we can honestly say all of the other entrees are of equal quality. joeA has had the Potato and Cheese Ravioli and found them to be delicious, along with both the Pork Tenderloin and Seared Chicken. But again, none of them top the filet.

Pricing
The California Grill is not a cheap night out. Expect to spend about $150 or so on a dinner for two. Along these lines, another smart policy change was the institution of a dress code. Back in the day, joeA and I would dress up for a nice evening out, only to find the place teeming with families who looked like they came straight from Blizzard Beach to the restaurant, while the douchebag fireworks people would be bolting from window to window to get the best view. No more. Now, guests can experience a five-star restaurant beyond just the food.

badDOLPHIN Tip
We love late dinners – the later, the better. Book your reservations around 10 PM for infront of the bar facing the open kitchen. It’s a cool and unique dining experience, and quite romantic. Chances are the chefs may even give you some samples.
If your looking for the ultimate dining spot on Disney property, this is it.
The California Grill is still stellar after all these years.

From the opening of Disneyland, to the 1964 New York World Fair, to Epcot Center, The Walt Disney Company has always been seen as a harbinger of the future.

It was The Walt Disney Company that pioneered the modern theme park resort model, beginning with Walt Disney World in Florida. Complete with mass transportation and centralized utilities, this resort model was the epitome of urban efficiency — so much so, it’s studied by military generals, scholars, businesses and municipalities alike.

The Internet, more than any other innovation in the past twenty years, has changed the way we live our lives. The line between everyone’s online and offline life is now one big blurb. From netbooks to smartphones, the net travels with us everywhere now. Whatever you need and wherever you need it, there’s an “app for that”. There are now even apps for Walt Disney World that give wait times at rides, walking distance to attractions and restaurants, and all sorts of random and wacky things.

Now, that's technology!

So, riddle me this Batman, how can a company so personified with technology, not offer guests Wi-Fi throughout all the hotels on its property? Nowadays, it’s almost passé to ask if there is Wi-Fi at your hotel — it’s at McDonalds, the every coffee shop, and even the frickin’ trailer park on US27 for Pete’s sake. Wi-Fi is everywhere…except at Disney!

This is where the Mouse's head's at -- the past.

Here’s how it works:  Wi-Fi is offered only at the Boardwalk and Contemporary hotels, the two business centers on property. In every other hotel, there is a $9.95 per day charge, an connection is through an awkward Ethernet cable next to the phone on the nightstand.

Seriously. I was just at Pop Century and thought the out-dated Internet service was part of the theming, a quaint nod to the past. But no, they’re serious about this.

This is not some minor inconvenience anymore. Many of us depend on our computers for our livelihood. Wi-Fi is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. And, unfortunately, it is a factor in deciding on a hotel – at least for AMY and myself – remember Disney, it’s available in almost all of your competitor’s hotels.

Don’t get me wrong, I still think the convenience and uber-theming of the Disney hotels make them the way to go when booking an Orlando vacation, but I find it extremely ironic a company with a theme park dedicated to the future, can have technology so firmly rooted in the past.

“Ybor City is tres speedy, but they throw such killer parties. Killer parties almost killed me…” Craig Finn, The Hold Steady

To us guys, beer bars are our safe haven, our element. Gritty places stocked with high alcohol craft brews women sneer at like transmission fluid. Sports on every TV, if there are any, pretzels and pizza as the only food, and bathrooms where you hold your breath and flush with your foot. Step up to jukebox and half the tunes are probably on your iPod. Yeah, this is home. If a woman ventures in, then she has to be “too cool to be forgotten,” like my cohort, AMY .

Despite attempts at renovation, the Ybor City area of Tampa is equally gritty. A former turn-of-the-century immigrant neighborhood, shared by Cuban cigar workers and Italian mobsters running their Bolita racket. Today, it’s one of the centers of Tampa nightlife, its clubs teeming with testosterone every weekend night. But below the glitz, the neighborhood remains. The Columbia Restaurant, The Italian Club, and The Cuban Club are all still there along with the ghosts of wiseguys and cigar workers past.

Back in 1996 in the center of this complex neighborhood, The Tampa Bay Brewing Company opened in its’ original location, a two-story brick former horse barn on 15^th Street. It was a quintessential beer bar, with fantastic house-brewed beer, but too-small of a location. In 2006 they made an unthinkable move for a beer joint and moved into a shopping center, on the plaza in Centro Ybor.

Despite my trepidation, they managed to pull off the move fairly well. Sure some of the character of the old place was traded for the extra space in the new, but although cleaner and bigger, it still feels like a guy’s safe haven.

The staple of their continued success is their selection of excellent brews. At any time, you will find these house brews on tap:

• Moosekiller Barley Wine
• Iron Rat Stout
• Old Elephant Foot IPA
• Red Eye Amber Ale
• Wild Warthog Lite
• True Blonde
• One Night Stand Pale Ale, and,
• Last but not least, my favorite, Jack the Quaffer Porter.

They will also offer some guest taps, as well as, if you’re lucky, a cask offering.

Since I prefer dark beers, the Porter and Stout are, of course, my favorites. I am proud to say, I have tasted all the beers. They’re all excellent and more than likely your favorite will probably be the style you normally like to drink.

As for the food, the Cheese and Ale Dip, and the Brew House Pretzels are both excellent appetizers. The pizza is excellent, and the burgers, sandwiches and steaks absolutely rock, so yes, come both hungry AND thirsty.

BONUS — All this great fare can be enjoyed in an equally great atmosphere, on the front patio, watching the trolleys pass by, and the skinny jeans line up for the clubs.

If ever you find yourself in the Tampa area, The Tampa Bay Brewing Company is a must-stop-by for some great food, and a brew, or two. Or three…

Rating: Brewtally awesome.

Nothing new here except this sign. Cat Cora's Kouzzina at Disney's BoardWalk

Last week during our annual family Disney vacation in Orlando, we were excited to dine at Cat Cora’s new restaurant at Disney’s BoardWalk, Kouzzina. However,  I  am sorry to report, it was a disappointment.

As we were seated at our table and as I looked around, I felt like the only thing different from its predecessor, Spoodles, was nothing more than the sign on the front door and the name on the menu. Damn it, Janet.

After I perused the menu, I continued to study the “new” restaurant and came to the conclusion, absolutely NOTHING was new and there was absolutely no visible presence of Cat Cora other than the sun-faded photo of her and Mickey outside on the sandwich board street sign.

It’s the same Mediterranean fare, it’s the same decor, for Pete’s sake it’s the same furniture and silverware — NOTHING has changed. I was pissed. We could have gone to one of our other favorite restaurants. At this point, the food — and wine — best be good.

Good news first:  the general concensus of our table of eight was a positive review of both meal and spirits. Bad news next: I did not like mine. Period. I ordered a white Greek wine which was way too sweet and my entree, the Fisherman’s Stew, did not mention it came in a diablo sauce. Did I mention I HATE diablo sauce? UGH.

Please note, I did not request a new choice of wine or send my meal back, that’s not how I roll.  I gave my wine to another family member and wiped the wretched sauce off each piece of seafood as I went along.

Needless to say, my step-father, whose birthday we were celebrating and my brother and sister-in-law, whose anniversary was that week, enjoyed their meals. And that’s really all that mattered to me.

Cuisine: Mediterranean
Open for Breakfast + Dinner
Price Range: $15 to $35.99

Rating: Go somewhere else.

The criticism in this article, and for the most part in this entire blog, is not aimed at Imagineering. Those fine ladies and gents are still coming up with great ideas and if given a free hand, would still be blowing us away with their creations. No, we’re sending the blame straight to where it belongs – to Team Disney Orlando (TDO) corporate suits. Like Kevin Yee says over at MiceAge, “declining by degrees”. These brilliant minds brought you Space Mountain with all new drive-by audio as an answer to Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey. “If we can dream it, then we can do it” is obviously not on the bulletin board in the TDO accounting office. But I digress, let’s get back on topic:  Captain EO.

Disney's EPCOT Captain EO | He's beautiful!

First off, I want to confess I was super excited when I heard Disney was bringing this attraction back in July. That said, is it really a good thing for Disney, fanboys like myself are drooling in anticipation over the return of a 23-year-old 3D movie. What does that say? Lowered expectations….check. What I would really like to touch on, however, is the continued presence of 3D movies in the parks in general.

As a guy, I love technology. Modern Marvels is one of my favorite shows, and to the chagrin of my ex, I could watch the history of concrete, transfixed for hours. One of the reasons I love theme parks is they use advanced technology to transport us to places and show us things which would not otherwise be possible.

Back in the early ‘80s when Epcot was Epcot Center, and the new park on the block, the idea was to get us jazzed up about the future. We learned in the future we were going to have cell phones, satellite TV, and the internet to communicate around the world and everything would be wonderful. What they failed to mention was each of these things was going to cost us another 70 bucks a month, but that’s not important. Right? Technology was going to make our lives better. We were going to advance as a civilization.

Fast forward to today’s Epcot. Where’s the optimistic hope for the future? Innoventions? Almost everything there is in the marketplace already. Where’s Horizons to tell us what the future’s going to be like? Ugh, don’t get me started on Horizons…again, another separate article. No, today’s Epcot is firmly rooted in the present. I think this is something that bothers most of Disney’s biggest fans almost subconsciously. I love Epcot. It’s my favorite Disney Park, but something’s missing and I can’t put my finger exactly on it. I think there’s simply too much commonplace in the parks, including the 3D movies. Go over to YAHOO!  movies and check the listings. I bet there’s at least one, if not multiple 3D offerings at your local multiplex right now. Not to mention, you can now buy a LCD 3D television for your home!

Over at Universal Studios, discussions about which attraction to replace next always seem to center around ET or Jaws. What about Shrek 4D? After all, a mere seven years after it’s opening, not only does it use outdated tech, but the ride film is available commercially! I can’t duplicate Jaws or ET in my living room, right?

But for now, I guess I’ll moonwalk over to Epcot and check out Captain EO every couple of months. I never do Shrek because in my humble opinion, except for the preshow gags, it sucks (could be the bitter Hitchcock fan in me). I know what you’re thinking. What about Mickey’s Philharmagic? Since it’s essentially a kiddie attraction, it doesn’t bug me as much.

Sometimes the good has to go out with the bad. So, hopefully, within the next half decade or so, 3D movies are completely eradicated from the parks and replaced with something more exciting — and innovative.

Let’s get this out of the way right now, I’m not going to resort to any of the seemingly endless puns available in my review of the Gaylord Palms Hotel. I’m not going to joke about the S.S. Gaylord docked in the Key West section of the hotel. Nor am I going to joke, if you drop your wallet in the Key West atrium you should kick it over to the St. Augustine section before bending over to pick it up. No shower jokes either (I’ll save that for our other posts), this hotel is too cool, chic and unique for our typical humor.

The Atrium at the Gaylord Palms Resort | Orlando

Open since 2002, The Gaylord Palms Resort was originally named The Opryland Hotel Florida. But, in one of those WTF moments corporate America is so famous for lately, just before opening it was re-named The Gaylord Palms Resort. This was supposedly because, in another head scratcher, the world famous Opryland Hotel chain was re-named the Gaylord Hotel chain. Now I know Gaylord is the last name of the hotel’s owner, but c’mon. I guess when you’re a billionaire you can do whatever the hell you want. Go ahead and make fun of the name of my hotel you peon. Right?

At 1,406 guest rooms, all in a single building, the Gaylord is immense. It has over 400,000-square-feet of convention space including over 210,000 in one ballroom.  With three full-service restaurants, two pools, a sushi bar/nightspot, and a fitness center with a Relache Spa and Salon you could spend your whole vacation/convention at the hotel. However, the absolute coolest thing about the Gaylord is the atrium. All of the rooms are situated around this four-plus acre glass-enclosed masterpiece straight out of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

The atrium is split into three areas themed to different Florida locales. Key West has the aforementioned S.S. Gaylord, which is situated in a stocked lagoon and houses Sunset Sam’s Restaurant. St. Augustine is the largest area and has a buffet restaurant, Villa de Flora, and a sushi bar/night spot Sora. The Everglades area is the most secluded of the three and houses the hotel’s signature restaurant the Old Hickory Steakhouse. There is also a coffee bar, Java Coast, and an ice cream parlor in the St. Augustine section. There is a mini Disney store, which also sells tickets, as well as a couple of the usual overpriced, upscale hotel boutique stores.

Outside, there are two large pools separated by a burger joint, a full service bar, and a mini golf course. One of the pools is supposed to be adults only, and with the exception of a few obnoxious teens usually is. Adjacent to the quiet pool is the bocce court where sh*t-for-brains adults and kids alike seem to think it’s hilarious to slam the bocce balls into the wall at the end of the court. Please bounce back…but, I digress.

The rooms are nicely sized and have all the usual accoutrements you would expect from a luxury hotel. The Florida view rooms all face outside and have no balconies. The atrium view rooms have balconies which open out to the four-acre atrium. This is by far, the coolest feature of the resort. After a day in the theme parks, and a nice dinner, it is awesome to kick back on your balcony and check out the hustle and bustle of the atrium below. It’s truly a unique lodging experience and one which cannot be duplicated at any other hotel in the Orlando area.

Rack rates at the hotel run anywhere from $199-$379 per night, but there are discounts to be had if you search online. This is a popular convention hotel and is frequently sold out, so it helps if your travel dates are flexible. Keep in mind,  there are the usual luxury hotel B.S. resort fees to deal with ,as well as a daily parking charge.

Rating: Luxuriously Fabulous

One step above Disney’s bogeylicious budget All-Star Resorts, lie the “moderate” priced hotels. Caribbean Beach Resort, the poor man’s Polynesian, was the first hotel built in the late 80′s in this “moderately-priced” category. Following in 1991 and 1992 respectively, came the neighboring Dixie Landings and Port Orleans Resorts, which shared the theme of the Old South on the shores of the mythical Sassagoula River at the turn of the century.

Disney's would-love-to-be-forgotten children's LP which shared the theme of the Old South on the shores of the mythical Sassagoula River at the turn of the century .

After operating under these names for the better part of the 90′s, Mickey finally went P.C. (Remember the never-to-be-released-again “Sound of the South” (1946) starring Briar Rabbit, Uncle Remus and a sh*t-load of tar babies? UGH.) merging the two resorts into one mega resort with the rechristened, simple name, Port Orleans – Riverside and French Quarter.

Riverside consists of 2048, 314-square-foot rooms split into two sections — Alligator Bayou and Magnolia Bend. Alligator Bayou buildings are themed as rustic shacks and Magnolia Bend buildings are themed to stately Southern mansions with live oaks, fountains and golf green-like lawns. That’s right, for as little as $149 rack rate, you can stay in your own Southern mansion.  As far as amenities, Riverside has the best food court on Disney property, as well as a full-service restaurant and a lively cocktail lounge with live entertainment. The central pool named, “Old Man Island,” should more accurately be named, “Where’s-Your-Ritalin-You-Little-Sh*t Island,” as again, it’s another pool overflowing with children. There are, thankfully, five other quiet pools intergraded around the buildings.

New Orleans' French Quarter in the heart of Orlando

The French Quarter side of the resort consists of 1008, 314-square-feet rooms themed to turn-of-the-century New Orleans. It’s a helluva lot cleaner than the real Big Easy, but also lacks the true NOLA charm. This sanitized version does however have the wrought iron railings, cobblestone streets, and famous “Nawlins” gaslight lamps.

The biggest issue for those staying at this moderate hotel is the lack of quiet pools or a full-service restaurant. Guests staying on this side of Port Orleans are supposed to venture over to Riverside to use these amenities, but come on, let’s be honest – that idea sucks. It’s a solid fifteen minute walk from resort to resort. You can wait to take the scheduled boat running between the hotels, but again, let’s be honest – that idea sucks, too.

Although I prefer the Riverside to the French Quarter, both resorts should be considered by families, couples and individuals because they have a bit more Disney magic, theming and amenities than the bogeylicious hotels and still fall quite a bit below the deluxe rates.  Port Orleans offers pricing for all pocketbooks, so as Scat Cat says, “Even the ‘common kitties’ can play.”

Rating: Zip-A-Dee-Do-DEAL

I bought my first Walt Disney World “Four Seasons” pass back in 1994, essentially, it’s today’s “Seasonal Pass,” exclusive to Florida residents. The Four Seasons pass had block out dates, like today’s seasonal passes, and did not include parking.

Forgive me if I sound like an old fart, but back in the day you could park your car in any of Disney’s three (at the time) theme park lots for four bucks. My pass, being of the less expensive variety, required me to pay that fee anytime I wanted to visit the parks. At only four bucks, I didn’t think twice about paying the fee, I was only thinking about when and for how long I was going to visit. Dropping by the parks for a couple of hours was something I did frequently and definitely was a huge advantage of being a passholder.

In the late 90′s, Universal Studios Orlando announced  expansion adding a second theme park and its juvenile delinquent, I mean, shopping, dining and nightspot, Citiwalk. Since Universal Studios is basically located in the middle of residential area (Dragon Challenge practically goes through the Dr. Phillips High auditorium) and paid primo prices for the land they sit on, they own far less real estate than the Mouse.  This expansion necessitated the incorporation of the Universal Studios parking lot into the new theme park, Islands of Adventure, which in turn, necessitated the building of what would turn out to be the largest parking garage in the world. A monster 20,000 space colossus, it was built so large because attendance was supposed to double with the opening of the new park.

For whatever reason, and there have been many hypothesis (poor marketing, public perception, etc.), that didn’t happen. From opening, up until the present day, most guests visited Islands of Adventure were bastardized from Universal Studios. This left Universal with a big, half-empty white elephant of a parking garage. And so began the great hidden fee, sticker shock, parking lot wars.

Any frequent visitor to the Orlando parks is aware of the annual, recession-be-dammed, jacking up of ticket prices. Sure as hell, every year Disney first raises their prices followed closely by Sea World, Busch Gardens, and Universal Studios. Some years the order is reversed, and this year Busch Parks haven’t followed…. yet. But don’t worry, they will.

I know, parking garages are costly to build. According to most estimates, about five times more per space than surface parking. In other words, Universal Studios paid out the ass for this thing and when it was half full they slowly started to raise the parking rates to recoup the cost. Disney, never one to miss an opportunity to siphon a bit more out of your wallet, matched every raise. Maybe not right away, but eventually they would. Despite the fact all their parking is on surface lots and all the lots existed before Universal built their garages.

Today, parking fees have risen to an exorbitant $14 per car at Disney and a, just raised on my last visit, $15 per car at Universal. This is ABSURD. These parks are charging over $80 bucks for a day per visitor and they have the gall to charge guests $15 for a space to put their car! It’s not like hoofing it to the parks is an option for anyone except hotel guests, who park free anyway. It would be one thing if they could claim they are raising parking rates to keep ticket prices low, but obviously this isn’t the case.

Parking is just a silent, hidden way for them to f*ck you over. Another way to raise ticket prices without the negative publicity that comes with raising prices in the middle of a recession. I, for one, am not going to silently let them get away with it. I am calling both Disney and Universal Studios out on this.

On both of their websites, on the page where tickets can be purchased, guests should be clearly warned about the parking fees. They are no longer trivial. It may even be beneficial to them. I mean if I was thinking of staying outside the WDW, and I realized I was going to have to pay $14 extra to park each day, I would definitely reconsider. Especially with Florida Resident rates sometimes running as little as $54 bucks a night at the Value resorts. Also, if parking rates were by some miracle lowered, the Seasonal and Power Passholders might start dropping by the parks more frequently leading to increased revenue for both Disney and Universal.

In the mean time, however, until guests start complaining, and mentioning it on the exit satisfaction surveys, I’m afraid escalating parking fees are here to stay.