With theme park-like phot ops, a fun fountain, a giant aquarium, art and plenty of shops and restaurants Orlando International Airport is already quite fun.
With the addition of the 2,000 square-foot old-fashioned Power Play Arcade, the fun meter now goes higher.
The arcade is part of the redevelopment of a larger area that now also includes a Skechers footwear shop, a branch of XpresSpa, Natalie’s Candy Jar, a Tumi travel gear store, Desigual, Guess, Timeless Travel (watches) and Naturally Inspired – selling “an eco-friendly line of hand-crafted wares.”
Happy Friday! Here are some travel tidbits from StuckatTheAirport.com:
Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) and America Airlines are embarking on a “transformative” $30 million makeover for the 15 gates in Terminal B, with hospitality group OTG coming in with eight new, chef-driven dining venues, thousands of iPads (for ordering food and browsing the web), plenty of power ports and upgraded shops.
Timeline: 18-24 months, with teaser dining venues opening along the way.
The CBS-affiliated, digital radio station will broadcast around-the-clock in central Florida on HD radios at 105.1HD, stream on the airport’s website and be available through the airport’s mobile app and the radio.com app.
Orlando International Airport is full of special treats for shoppers who, like me, are always on the lookout for inexpensive, somewhat offbeat, small treasures.
In addition to the treats from the airport’s Kennedy Space Center Gift Shop I featured yesterday on Snack Saturday, during my recent visit at MCO I found these two Hello Kitty items in the Sanrio store.
The orange Hello Kitty key chain fulfills the “something-related-to-a-trip-to-Florida” category and the tissues are just cute and useful.
And, of course, any time spent at Orlando International Airport offers a chance to look around at the airport’s eclectic art collection, which includes work by Jacob Lawrence and this “double-take” sculpture called “The Traveler” by Duane Hanson.
If your family is planning a trip to Orlando this winter, keep in mind that the attractions begin at the airport. With the art.
Like so many other airports these days, Orlando International Airport (MCO) has a top notch collection of artwork scattered about. And much of it is by highly acclaimed artists.
Two pieces to seek out in this airport include, Duane Hanson’s The Traveler and Space, Time and Energy, an enamel on steel piece by Jacob Lawrence.
The July 4th travel ‘season’ is evidently already underway, as airports around the country have already rolled out their in-terminal holiday celebrations.
Courtesy Orlando International Airport (photo from 2012 performance)
Orlando International Airport starts celebrating this weekend (Liberty Weekend) with a free concert by the Orlando Philharmonic Orchestra in the Hyatt Regency Hotel atrium (which doubles as the main atrium of the airport) on Saturday, June 29 at 7:45 p.m.
The concert is free and in the pre-security area of the airport and everyone who attends will receive American flags, pins and three hours of complimentary parking.
Orlando International Airport has another patriotic event underway in the atrium: a display of 50 tempered-glass poppies (The Remembrance Poppies) by Craig Mitchell Smith. Poppies have been the American Legion’s symbol of symbol of tribute to fallen soldiers since World War I.
Starting today and running through July 7th, there will be red, white and blue menus at many airport restaurants, patriotic displays in the shops and a fun photo contest called #BumpedIntoObama.
Look for “the President” outside various shops in either airport (you can find out where he is by checking the IAD and DCA social media sites); get your picture taken with him, share the photo on Twitter or Instagram (@IADFoodandShops or @DCAFoodandShops) with the hashtag #BumpedIntoObama and you’ll not only have a fun souvenir – you’ll be entered into a daily drawing for a $25 Gift Card.
