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Santa Claus may have gone into hibernation this week, but the holiday spirit continues at many theme parks and attractions into the end of the year and beyond. Below is a list of last call holidays with some key end dates for 2026. They’re arranged chronologically for easy clipping and saving (ask your kids, Nana, or Mrs. Claus). • Candlelight Processional and the rest of the Epcot International Holiday Festival end on December 30th. The final celebrity narrator of the year is Sheryl Lee Ralph (“Abbott Elementary”), who will appear on Monday and Tuesday nights. (Santa Goofy will also be…
The Miami-area condo market is showing clear signs of cooling, adding weight to recent warnings from analysts that prices could face a major correction in the coming months. New market data and broker reports show that while condo inventory continues to grow across Miami-Dade and Broward counties, the pandemic-era boom has significantly slowed buyer demand. Properties are spending more time on the market, and price reductions, once rare in South Florida, are becoming increasingly common, especially on older properties. High interest rates remain one of the biggest headwinds. Mortgage rates near multi-decade highs have significantly reduced affordability, driving away many…
What is Orlando’s biggest theme park story of 2025, and why is it Epic Universe? There’s little debate. The theme-park capital of the world gained its first major park in more than 25 years, thanks to a major expansion of — and $8 billion investment by — Universal Orlando. Epic methodically dribbled out details about its lands, rides, previews, ticket sales and trio of hotels. It played host to international media and a star-studded build-up – complete with “celestial carpet” – to its May 22 debut. Early reviews were mostly positive, lauding the immersive nature of Super Nintendo World, Dark…
The Miami Hurricanes have won college football’s national championship five times, more than the Florida Gators (three) and Florida State Seminoles (three). Miami accomplished this feat through major postseason bowl game wins in 1983, 1987, 1989, 1991, and 2001. These accomplishments solidified the Canes’ reputation as a college football powerhouse, affectionately known as “The U,” and demonstrated the program’s ability to excel in key moments. The rosters and media guides of the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s are filled with iconic names, from Ray Lewis to Warren Sapp to Michael Irvin and many other great talents who went on to…
Jason Chin said his James Beard Award-nominated Good Salt Restaurant Group’s normal rate of new restaurants is one every two to four years. In 2025, he opened two restaurants with his wife and partner Sue. It was a year that he and others in the Orlando restaurant industry described as tough economic times. “Not just in a general sense, but especially in terms of restaurant economics,” Chin said. Over the past few years, with COVID-19 and beyond, “we’ve all been a little reeling trying to make sense of everything with inflation and wages and things like that,” he said. And…
Eggnog is a thick, creamy drink traditionally associated with holiday celebrations. Over the centuries, its history has evolved from a drink consumed by Europe’s elite to a celebratory staple enjoyed around the world. origins of medieval europeEggnog’s roots go back to the medieval European drink “posset” made with hot milk, eggs, and ale or wine. Posetto was not only drunk as a cold remedy, but also enjoyed as a luxurious drink at social gatherings. By the 17th century, milk and eggs had become scarce and expensive, and posset became a drink primarily for the wealthy. Over time, the recipe evolved.…
On a frozen Christmas day during World War I, the sounds of gunfire along parts of the Western Front went eerily quiet. In the spaces between the trenches – land recently torn apart by shelling – soldiers emerged, without rifles, with hesitant gestures of goodwill. Among the most memorable stories of the day is a simple soccer game played for several hours between uniformed opponents who chose humanity over hatred. Accounts from the time describe soldiers greeting each other, sharing food, and making improvised goalposts out of their hats and coats. In some retellings, the match also included German and…
Below is a list of the top five most annoying or least favorite Christmas songs according to various publications, surveys, and listener polls. These songs often appear on year-end lists of seasonal music that people hate. “All I Want for Christmas is You” – Mariah CareyWhere to start? First, Mariah wants to be known as the “Queen of Christmas.” Sorry, Mariah, but in case you forgot, Mary has that title. Despite (or perhaps because of) their ubiquity, her songs top annoying/overplayed lists and are often listed as number one in polls of songs that can’t bear repeat listening. “The Chipmunk…
Why’s the rum gone? My liquor cabinet is not a liquor cabinet. It’s a kitchen cabinet that’s largely devoted to booze, with a smattering of oversized platters and baking dishes, an old hand mixer and some light bulbs I can no longer use but for some reason still have, jammed into the shelf on top. There are ancient bottles in here from my dad’s bar. And when I say bar, I mean the literal bar he operated back in the 1990s. Some aren’t even open. There are bottles he bought on his travels — pisco from Peru and cachaça from…
A landmark moment in college football history sparked a founding-like celebration in Orlando’s Thornton Park neighborhood. Citrus Bowl Lodge, the first bowl-themed bar in the nation to debut Friday at 4 p.m., will be inside the Reindeer Room for its second year as the area’s glittering holiday pop-up bar. This is the latest in a series of celebrations by Florida Citrus Sports to mark the 80th annual Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, a tradition that includes 80 years of gridiron tradition in Central Florida. “The 80th running of the Citrus Bowl provided us with a wonderful opportunity to celebrate the impact this…