As mentioned in an earlier post, September is Magical Dining Month in Orlando. For the fixed price of $19 or $29, participating restaurants offer diners a three-course menu including an appetizer, entree and dessert based on their everyday selections. This weekend, my wife and I decided to take advantage of the offer.

The list of 55 participating locations includes most, if not all, of the restaurants at the Universal Orlando resort (including CityWalk and the hotels). Many of the restaurants at Pointe Orlando and in the International Drive area are also included. Rounding out the list are locations in Downtown Orlando, Winter Park, Celebration, restaurant row in Dr. Phillips and the Millenia Mall area.

For our night out, my wife and I decided to try B.B. King’s Blues Club at Pointe Orlando for the first time. Back when it opened, there were a number of good reviews on both the food and the entertainment. We were hoping to find that to still be true after ten months in operation.

To start, B.B. King’s charges an “entertainment fee” of $5 per person. I think we could have bypassed this cover had we just followed the hostess to our table, but I hesitated and one of the other hostesses waved us over to pay the fee and stamp our hands. Not that I wanted to get away without paying (I was notified of the charge when making our reservation), it just seemed like two separate operations that should probably be more tightly integrated.

After reaching our table, we were presented with menus and had our drink orders taken. The only thing missing was any mention of the Magical Dining Month offerings. I couldn’t find any reference in the dinner menu, and there didn’t appear to be any advertisements in the restaurant, either. Turns out you have to specifically ask for the Magical Dining Month menu, which I find odd (see Note).

B.B. King’s “Magical Menu”, as it appears to be named, included a nice selection of main courses surrounded by a couple appetizer and dessert options. My wife ordered the Fried green tomatoes and Grilled Chicken Dinner, while I went with the Fried dill pickles and BBQ Pork Platter. We both ordered the Strawberry Short Cake.

Overall, the food was decent, but far from spectacular. My pork was bland, except where combined with the BBQ sauce, and my wife’s meal was just a little bit better (the mashed potatoes were pretty good). In looking around the restaurant, it appears that the Magical Dining Month portions are smaller than those found on the regular menu, too. Since we were getting $30 worth of food (by menu price) for only $19, I guess that’s to be expected.

The highlights of the meal were the Strawberry Short Cake and the live music. If I had to do B.B. King’s again in the near future, I’d start with dinner elsewhere and then finish the night with dessert, drinks and a good helping of live blues.

Based on this experience, I believe the Magical Dining Month offer could be improved. First off, the Magical Menu should be offered to all diners. Additionally, if portion sizes are going to be reduced, the available choices should not be limited to a mere fraction of the regular menu.

Note
After re-reading the Magical Dining Month information on orlandoinfo.com, it clearly states that you must ask for the Magical Menu when you get to the restaurant. I still think that’s odd.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Dinosaurs once again roam the earth in a spectacular theatrical arena show, WALKING WITH DINOSAURS – The Live Experience. Fifteen roaring, snarling “live” dinosaurs will mesmerize the audience – and are as awe-inspiring as when they first walked on earth.

See pictures from the media preview at The Daily City

Those 15 dinosaurs represent ten species from the entire 200 million year reign of the dinosaurs. The show includes the Tyrannosaurus Rex, the terror of the ancient terrain, as well as the Plateosaurus and Liliensternus from the Triassic period, the Stegosaurus and Allosaurus from the Jurassic period and Torosaurus and Utahraptor from the awesome Cretaceous. The largest of them, the Brachiosaurus is 36 feet tall, and 56 feet from nose to tail. It took a team of 50 – including engineers, fabricators, skin makers, artists and painters, and animatronic experts – a year to build the original production.

Brought to North America by The Creature Production Company, headed by CEO Carmen Pavlovic, the show is based on the award-winning BBC Series, “Walking With Dinosaurs”. Pavlovic said, “The BBC Series was a brilliant blend of special effects, escapism, excitement and information. Our show brings together all of that, plus something extra - it’s live!”

The show depicts the dinosaurs’ evolution, complete with the climatic and tectonic changes that took place, which led to the demise of many species. With almost cinematic realism, WALKING WITH DINOSAURS has scenes of the interactions between dinosaurs, and the audience sees how carnivorous dinosaurs evolved to walk on two legs, and how the herbivores fended off their more agile predators.

The history of the world is played out with the splitting of the earth’s continents, and the transition from the arid desert of the Triassic period is given over to the lush green prairies and forces of the later Jurassic. Oceans form, volcanoes erupt, a forest catches fire — all leading to the impact of the massive comet, which struck the earth, and forced the extinction of the dinosaurs.

Tickets to the show range from $27.50 to $65.00 and are currently on sale through Ticketmaster.com, OrlandoVenues.net or in person at the Amway Arena box office. The Live Experience will have evening performances at 7:00p.m. Wednesday, November 12 through Friday, November 14. Saturday, November 15 there will be an 11:00a.m., 3:00p.m. and 7:00p.m. performance and Sunday, November 16 there will be a 1:00p.m. and 5:00p.m. performance.

Popularity: 3% [?]

For 23 nights this fall, guests will experience the most chilling and psychologically intense Halloween Horror Nights in history. There will be all-new haunted houses, scarezones and shows. And at the center of the horror will be someone new. Someone you’ve never met before but long-feared. Someone who inflicts fear beyond comprehension.

Bloody Mary.

The legend of Bloody Mary is well known. Chant her name three times while staring into a mirror and evil things will be brought upon you. For Halloween Horror Nights 18, guests will step through the mirror and live that nightmare.

Below are a few of the haunted house descriptions, providing a peek into the world of Bloody Mary where guests will learn that fear is more than a four-letter word; it’s a state of mind.

Reflections of Fear
Noted Psychiatrist Dr. Mary Agana believed that if a subject was constantly forced to experience what they feared the most, then over time they would become numb to the idea of actually fearing it. Unfortunately for us, Dr. Mary’s fear is that of death and the only way for her to cure herself is to watch the light leave your eyes as your soul leaves your body.

The Hallow
Where do the traditions we observe each Halloween come from? It is said that every Halloween within the blackest parts of the forest, Samhain, The Lord of the Underworld, lives again and the souls of the damned beckon you. For if you journey deep enough, you will see that Samhain’s traditions are trapped within The Hallow.

Body Collectors: Collections of the Past
With their history shrouded in legend, “The Collectors”, have been assembling a collection of untold numbers of souls for centuries. Using mass-murders and plagues to cover their ghoulish activities, these ghoulish artisans are constantly searching for the next specimen to add to their macabre museum. But, when there is no plague or Jack “The Ripper,” there are only the Collectors, Collecting… Collecting…

Date for Halloween Horror Nights include: September 26-27, October 2-5, 9-12, 16-19, 22-26 and October 29-November 1

If you are a Florida resident, be sure to check out the special offers and packages that are available. Regular admission to Halloween Horror Nights is $69.99 plus tax. The Frequent Fear Pass grants access to Halloween Horror Nights for 13 nights during the event. The pass is $69.99 and is valid on September 26 and 27, October 2, 5, 9, 12, 16, 19, 22, 23, 26, 29 and 30. Due to the event’s popularity, tickets for weekend nights are expected to sell out and should be purchased far in advance.

Popularity: 4% [?]

The Enzian has long been one of my favorite spots in Orlando. It’s one of the few theaters - if not the only theater - where the movie-going experience is still a pleasure. With well-behaved audiences, chairs and sofas that allow you to stretch out during the movie and a full menu of interesting food and drink selections, the Enzian is simply the best place to watch a film.

Prior to the show, plan on a drink at the new outside bar, which is kept neatly cool with a handful of misters set into the ceiling. If you’re a member, you can reserve your table for the movie up until 30 minutes prior to the show from this spot. Happy hour runs from 5-7pm daily and includes $3 pints of Orange Blossom Pilsner, a fine craft beer made locally here in Orlando.

To make a great thing even better, the Orlando/Orange County Convention and Visitor’s Bureau is currently in the middle of their “Endless Summer” promotion that offers “Get One Free” deals. At the Enzian, when you buy one ticket, you can get the second one free by providing the promotion code: 08CVBESUM. This offer is valid until November 15th, so there’s plenty of time to take advantage.

Enzian Theater & Cinema Café
1300 South Orlando Avenue
Maitland, FL 32751
407-629-1088

Buy One Ticket, Get The 2nd Ticket Free
Promotion Code: 08CVBESUM

Popularity: 2% [?]

The Orange County Regional History Center continues to host its popular and nostalgic Retro Game Nights, bringing the event back on Friday, September 19, from 7 p.m. to midnight. Retro Game Night is a walk down memory lane, featuring a wide array of classic board and video games set up throughout the museum. Retro attire is encouraged, so dress up in the hottest look from your favorite decade! The mood will be set with the “greatest hits” of past decades and the totally awesome evening includes free nostalgic treats and a cash bar.

Board games include (subject to change): Battleship, Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Clue, Connect Four, Hungry Hungry Hippos, Monopoly, Mystery Date, Operation, Scrabble, Sorry, Twister, Uno, Yahtzee, and more. Video games include (subject to change): Donkey Kong, Centipede, and Space Invaders.

This marks the third Retro Game Night hosted by the History Center. The original event was held in January of 2008 in conjunction with an exhibition featuring classic toys and games and continues by popular demand.

My wife and I love to play old-school video games, especially Ms. Pac-Man, Scrabble and Monopoly. I remember playing Centipede and Space Invaders on my Atari as a kid. I wonder if I’m any good at these two games nowadays.

Admission to Retro Game Night is $5 cash at the door or free for members. As a reminder, this event is for ages 18 and up only. For more information, call (407) 836-8500 or visit www.thehistorycenter.org.

Popularity: 2% [?]

Beginning with a performance by the Kirov Orchestra on November 2nd, the 25th Anniversary Season of the Festival of Orchestras promises to be one that will be remembered for years to come. The five-concert series will take place at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in downtown Orlando, with the first show in November, two in January, one in March and the final show in April. There will only be one performance per visiting orchestra, so you better buy tickets early.

The highlight of the season will come in March, when the world-renowned Boston Pops will visit for an afternoon show on Sunday, March 8th. Featuring Conductor Keith Lockhart, the Boston Pops will perform a salute music from the glitz and glamour of Oscar and Tony. My first memory of the Boston Pops is my favorite. I was watching a 4th of July celebration on TV and the orchestra was playing along to very well-choreographed fireworks. Every 4th of July since, I’ve searched out their performance and hope to one day enjoy their show in person. Their music is magical.

More information on the Festival of Orchestras can be found at www.festivaloforchestras.com, including prices for the season subscriptions. The full season is as follows …

November 2, 2008 at 7pm
Kirov Orchestra

January 10, 2009 at 8pm
Dublin Philharmonic Orchestra

January 31, 2009 at 8pm
Budapest Festival Orchestra

March 8, 2009 at 3pm
Boston Pops

April 4, 2009 at 3pm
National Philharmonic of Russia

Popularity: 2% [?]