News from November 2005
Birmingham Airport Strike
The Christmas spirit will not be overflowing at Birmingham Airport after staff voted in favour of a series of one day walk outs in protest at the sacking of two workers from the trade union Amicus.
The first 12-hour walk out was set for November 28th and has been cancelled following talks, but further action on December 8, 10, 12, 19,24, 26, 31 and January 6 2006 has not been cancelled. Security, terminals, engineering and the fire service will all be affected and flights will not be able to take off or land between 6am and 6pm.
Posted on 25 November 2005
Holidays on Ice
The holidays in Florida just got cooler, thanks to a new walk-through Christmas attraction hand-carved from nearly two million pounds of ice.
Just in time for the holidays, a cold spell has hit Orlando, bringing an ice storm to the Sunshine State!
Fortunately, the 9-degree weather will be isolated above Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center, host to "ICE!", a holiday attraction hand-carved from nearly two million pounds of ice.
The wildly popular family experience gives guests an opportunity to visit a whimsical winter wonderland of interactive environments and larger-than-life, three-dimensional ice monuments and sculptures.
The attraction, which is presented by Coca-Cola and Albertson’s, will run Nov. 19-Jan. 2. The spectacle combines fantastic frozen creations, thrilling ice slides, dramatic lighting and special effects. “ICE!” is the highlight of the resort’s “Best of Florida Christmas” celebration, which features holiday activities for the entire family.
The enormous structure used to house “ICE!” -- dubbed “The Florida Fridge” – is cooled to a chilly 9 degrees. To stay comfortable inside the attraction, visitors are given oversized winter coats to wear.
“Not only is the artistry amazing, but the brisk environment inside the attraction creates a winter holiday experience like no other in the Sunshine State -- rosy cheeks and all!” said John Caparella, general manager of Gaylord Palms. “Visitors to ICE! find that they ‘connect’ on an emotional level as well.”
This year, “ICE!” will feature several new or revised scenes, including a heartwarming Victorian holiday scene, Santa’s Toyland, and a majestic Church in the Woods. In response to guest feedback, some elements will return for an “encore,” including a breathtaking life-size nativity carved completely of crystal-clear ice. A guest favorite -- three fantastic ice slides -- will return amid a towering Christmas Castle.
The attraction is carved by teams of 40 artisans from Harbin, China. The talented team spends nearly an entire month in Kissimmee creating this one-of-a-kind attraction. Harbin is best known for its annual walk-through Ice Park and the International Ice and Snow Festival. Each year more than 2,000 sculptors carve a 100-acre walk-through Ice Park from blocks of ice taken from the Songhua River.
Produced exclusively for Gaylord Hotels, the artisans’ work appeared for the first time in the United States in 2001, when a similar attraction debuted at Gaylord Opryland® Resort’s "A Country Christmas" celebration in Nashville. The project expanded in 2003 to include “ICE!” at Gaylord Palms. This year, “ICE!” will also be a feature of “Lone Star Christmas” at Gaylord Texan® Resort in Grapevine, Texas, located in Dallas/Fort Worth.
Since its inception, this unique attraction has garnered national recognition from USA Today, The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Southern Living magazine, and Travel + Leisure magazine.
Attraction Details
“ICE!” is separated into ten breathtaking handcrafted ICE environments:
• Frozen Florida: where guests are welcomed into this unbelievable world of “ICE!,” complete with arctic alligators and frosty flamingos… donning earmuffs!
• Victorian Fantasy: a tribute to one family’s Christmas in this heartwarming vision of yesteryear.
• Santa’s Toyland: a fanciful “machine-age” toyshop bathed in amazing colored ice, where the elves are hard at work carving toys and placing them on enchanted conveyor belts to load up Santa’s sleigh. Bright flashing lights and colorful candy decorations adorn the whimsical contraptions, all under Santa’s watchful eye.
• Demonstration Station: Nestled within Toyland is an area for guests to see the ice carving process firsthand. Here, Chinese artisans demonstrate their skill and craftsmanship for passersby.
• Santa Photo Opportunity: Who’s cooler than Santa? The Big Fella is here – in all his hand-carved glory – a perfect spot for holiday photos!
• “ICE!” Forest: home to playful polar bears and pirouetting penguins – and the amazing ice bridge! The “ICE!” Forest is a tranquil and contemplative environment, featuring a running waterfall, twinkling stars behind a painted dusk sky, and a winding footpath.
• Church in the Woods: After crossing the bridge, visitors encounter a rustic church façade. Light streams through ice stained “glass” windows, creating a colorful aura.
• The Nativity: the awesome sparkling crystal-clear life-sized replica. This is the signature scene of the show, one of the world’s most beautiful and inspirational renditions of the Nativity.
• The Christmas Castle: Toy soldiers stand guard at this interactive scene where kids (and kids-at-heart) can climb up the towering spires, and race down the slippery slides. A favorite!
• Santa and Flamingo: one last photo op before returning to the Florida sun!
After their visit, guests can exit the “Florida Fridge” and enter into the post-show area, where the “ICE!” experience continues. To warm guests’ “noses and toeses,” ICE! visitors receive a complimentary cup of hot cocoa. Guests can also enjoy additional “Best of Florida Christmas” activities, such as family shows, atmosphere entertainment, special meals and visits with Santa Claus.
“ICE!” tickets for adults are $16.99 plus tax (Mondays through Thursdays) and $19.99 plus tax (Fridays through Sundays). Tickets for children ages 4-12 are $7.99 plus tax (Monday through Sunday). Special prices also are available for senior citizens.
“ICE!” will be open daily during the holiday season and will be accessible from the convention center of Gaylord Palms Resort, which is located five minutes from Walt Disney World, at 6000 W. Osceola Parkway in Kissimmee. Special holiday packages are available, beginning at $219 plus tax per night for a two-night package, including “ICE!” tickets, daily breakfast and priority entrance into the “ICE!” attraction. For more information or reservations, call (407) 586-4423. More information can also be found at www.gaylordpalms.com/ice.
About Gaylord Palms
Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center has gained the attention of the meeting and convention industry by providing world-class convention and leisure-focused amenities – all in one place. The award-winning Gaylord Palms is a Gaylord Hotels-branded property owned by Gaylord Entertainment (NYSE: GET), a leading hospitality and entertainment company based in Nashville, Tenn. For more information, visit http://www.gaylordpalms.com or www.gaylordentertainment.com.
Posted on 8 November 2005
EPassports
According to an article on a web based news site, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office has begun trialling biometric passports with its foreign diplomats. The passports are in the same format that it is anticipated will be used when issued to the general public.
The Silicon.com article reports that a Foreign Office spokesman has identified February as the month when the new passports will begin to be issued, with all new passports as ePassports by August in time for the October 26th Visa Waiver deadline. The trials began in September at the Paris consulate, and there was a second trial at Washington in October. The trial passports will be withdrawn at the end of the trial. The article goes on to report that the biometrics will be “first generation” consisting of a digital photo. According to the Home Office later issues will feature a chip containing a scanned image of unique facial features such as an iris scan. The Home Office have also announced that from late 2006 their will be face to face interviews for all first-time adult passport applications.
Posted on 9 November 2005
STR Ban Faces Challenge
An ordinance passed by Brevard County Commissioners in May 2005 banning rentals of less than 90 days within Brevard County which takes effect on 19th November is being challenged in the courts by a couple from Illinois.
With the financial backing of the Pacific Legal Foundation, an advocacy group that gets involved when government power affects individual rights. Their arguement is that the government has effectively "taken" the property from the couple by the introduction of the ordinance. The couple bought two vacation villas in 2002 and 2004, for use as Short Term Rental properties with the money going towards their retirement. The couple were informed by the county that STR's were allowed. The ordinance, as well as restricting rentals to 90 days or more, also states that there must be an equivelent number of car parking spaces as bedrooms.
Posted on 17 November 2005
Disney Deaths - Natural
The Medical Examiners Office has released the results of autopsies carried out on two children who died this past summer at Walt Disney World. The first, a young boy who died whilst on Mission: Space, was found to be suffering from a heart disease, possibly congenital, which could have caused his death at any time. The second death was a young girl who collapsed and died at Typhoon Lagoon. She was found to be suffering from an inflammation of the heart probably caused by an infection, aquired several days prior to her arrival at Walt Disney World.
Posted on 17 November 2005
The Price of a New Passport
The price of passports is to rise in order to pay for major improvements to boost security and fight fraud.
New passport fees, which will see the price of a standard 10-year adult passport rise by £9 to £51, reflect the cost of implementing key anti-fraud measures to combat the rapidly growing threat of passport fraud and forgery.
These include:
enhanced background checks on applicants;
the gradual introduction of new biometric ’ePassports’ from February 2006, which will contain a scan of the passport holder’s unique facial features embedded in a chip held in the passport document;
face-to-face interviews for first-time adult applicants from October 2006.
The UK Passport Service (UKPS) constantly seeks to improve the security of the document and the passport issuing process in order to combat increasingly sophisticated forms of fraud and forgery. This fee increase will fund the first phase of implementation of these key measures, with a further fee review taking place next year. Passport fees last rose in 2003 when funding was required to introduce the secure delivery of passports, reducing passports losses during delivery by over 80%, as well as the launch of a database of lost and stolen passports and a trial of new background checks on the information supplied by passport applicants.
Home Office Minister Andy Burnham said:
"Countries all around the world are moving to strengthen the security of identity documents in the face of the growing threat of fraud and forgery. We cannot afford to stand idle. These improvements to passport security do carry a cost - but it is a price worth paying in order to protect passport holders from fraud and afford them continued convenient international travel. The British passport continues to represent excellent value for money.
"We are determined to ensure the British passport remains one of the most secure in the world, and we are one of over 40 countries preparing to issue new biometric ’ePassports’. These technological advances are now being adopted internationally to improve the security of travel documents and border controls, and will build on successful UKPS anti-fraud initiatives such as the secure delivery of passports and the creation of the Lost, Stolen and Recovered passport database."
Bernard Herdan, Chief Executive of the UKPS, said:
"The anti-fraud measures that the new fees will support will create a huge deterrent to would-be fraudsters. They will help us detect and prevent fraudulent applications, and make our passports even harder to misuse or forge.
"Our focus on tackling fraud and forgery does mean that there are added costs to our customers, both financial and in terms of the convenience with which passports can be obtained. Measures such as new background checks on applicant data and interviews for first-time adult applicants will in the future increase the length of time it takes to process applications. But they are absolutely necessary if we are to protect the integrity of the British passport. The UKPS remains committed to maintaining the highest standards of customer service."
The UKPS will carefully manage the volume of biometric ePassports issued during the anticipated six-month roll-out period. Biometric and digital passports will be identically priced during that period, but that will cease when biometric passports are fully rolled out and digital passport production in turn ceases. The new fee of £51 compares reasonably with current fees for comparable ten year machine readable passports abroad, such as Australia (£64), Ireland (£51.28), Japan (£80.55), Norway (£87), Portugal (£52) and the USA (£47). A full table of international comparisons is available at www.passport.gov.uk.
The UKPS is a self-funded Agency, reliant on the fee income it generates. Fees are reviewed annually to ensure the UKPS continues to meet HM Treasury requirements to recover all its costs - and those of the FCO non fee-bearing consular services - from fee income. A fee review is conducted each year with a view to any change of fee being implemented when financially necessary and operationally practical.
The new passport fees, effective from 1 December 2005, are as follows:
Post Fast Track (FT)(1 week) Premium (same day)
Adult first £51(9) £77.50(7.50) N/A
Adult Renewal £51(9) £77.50(7.50) £96.50(7.50)
Child first £34(9) £70(10) N/A
Child Renewal £34(9) £70(10) £83(12)
Jumbo (48 page) £62.50(8) £87(16) £104.50(9)
Posted on 18 November 2005
