Hot spots: Orlando's indoor attractions offer cool-down options
Merlin minds
Icon Park offers several 1-2 attractions punches, but consider a stroll through Madame Tussauds Orlando then winding through Sea Life Orlando Aquarium. They're both in the large building at the base of the Orlando Eye, so there would be no heat or rain to fret about in between stops. All three of those attractions are owned by Merlin Entertainments, so there are ticket bundles available.
Tussauds features wax-based replicas of famous folks ready for their close-ups and your selfies. A recent addition is a new version of Taylor Swift, one of 13 poses created for Tussauds outlets worldwide. Sea Life is home to creatures such as sharks, turtles, stingrays, jellyfish and seahorses, and the structural highlight is probably the Ocean Tunnel that gives dry landers an all-around look at underwater life.
Merlin also runs Sea Life Florida Aquarium, which opened next door to Legoland Florida in Winter Haven earlier this year.
More info: madametussauds.com and visitsealife.com
Go: Karts and cars
At Dezerland Park, which bills itself as Florida's largest indoor attraction, double up on driving-related activities. The building houses electric Go-Kart courses, including a major hairpin. Nearby is the Orlando Auto Museum with 2,000 vehicles worth $200 million. Some are old and rare, some are big-screen famous and others are just, well, unusual.
Those attractions are separately ticketed. There are additional Dezerland options, such as bowling, ax throwing, pinball, laser tag, movie theaters and Jumpstart, which blends sports and trampolining.
More info: dezerlandpark.com
Old and new tech
More than a century ago, the Titanic, a modern sea-going marvel, sank in the Atlantic. Some 200 items (and replicas) from the liner are on display at Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition, including a formidable chunk of the ship's actual hull. The attraction recently added a black-glass necklace recovered from the ocean floor and thought to be another possible relic from the ship.
Tech today allows adventure in a headset. Moving south down International Drive from the Titanic attraction is Sandbox VR, newly opened at Pointe Orlando. The attraction features headsets and full-body motion capture for experiences titled 'Squid Game Virtuals,' 'Amber Sky 2088' and 'Curse of Davy Jones.'
More info: titanicorlando.com and sandboxvr.com/orlando
Believe it times 2
It's odd, and that's OK. The Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum has a slew of items related to heaven and Earth, including a room devoted to the freak show that is Florida. But there's also movie-making tributes and Feel Far Out, a space section, that shows off a 3,197-pound meteorite as well as a 'Star Wars' lightsaber wielded on screen by Luke Skywalker.
Its next-door neighbor is sister attraction Ripley's Mirror Maze, which messes with your mind with reflections (and reflections of reflections) and LEDs that distort the pathway through.
Not coincidentally, Ripley's daily cartoon for Monday told us that 'the human brain is less capable of complex decision-making when it's too hot outside.'
More info: ripleys.com
Escape from I-Drive
Two Orlando museums have fresh offerings, though walking between the two would not be recommended this week.
The Orange County Regional History Center presents 'Orlando Collected,' a gathering of items related to pop culture, politics, parks and more in honor of the 150th anniversary of the city's founding. This Friday, the downtown museum has a 'lunch and learn' session on the making of the exhibit.
Meanwhile, Orlando Science Center (about 2.5 miles to the north in Loch Haven Park) has four levels of exhibits and films plus its current exhibit called 'DC Superheroes: Discover Your Superpowers.' Capes are provided.
More info: OSC.org and thehistorycenter.org
_______
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Lindblad Expeditions (NASDAQ:LIND) Delivers Impressive Q2, Stock Soars
Cruise and exploration company Lindblad Expeditions (NASDAQ:LIND) reported Q2 CY2025 results exceeding the market's revenue expectations , with sales up 23% year on year to $167.9 million. The company expects the full year's revenue to be around $737.5 million, close to analysts' estimates. Its GAAP loss of $0.18 per share was 21.7% above analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy Lindblad Expeditions? Find out in our full research report. Lindblad Expeditions (LIND) Q2 CY2025 Highlights: Revenue: $167.9 million vs analyst estimates of $159 million (23% year-on-year growth, 5.6% beat) EPS (GAAP): -$0.18 vs analyst estimates of -$0.23 (21.7% beat) Adjusted EBITDA: $24.84 million vs analyst estimates of $12.48 million (14.8% margin, 99% beat) The company lifted its revenue guidance for the full year to $737.5 million at the midpoint from $725 million, a 1.7% increase EBITDA guidance for the full year is $111.5 million at the midpoint, above analyst estimates of $107.6 million Operating Margin: 2.6%, up from -6% in the same quarter last year Free Cash Flow Margin: 8%, similar to the same quarter last year Market Capitalization: $641.7 million Natalya Leahy, Chief Executive Officer, said "I'm incredibly proud of the team's accomplishments this quarter. We delivered 23% revenue growth, achieved 86% occupancy on a 5% increase in capacity, and drove a 139% increase in Adjusted EBITDA. These results reflect strong momentum behind our strategic initiatives. We remain focused on unlocking meaningful value through continued revenue growth and disciplined cost innovation, and we are confident in the direction we're heading." Company Overview Founded by explorer Sven-Olof Lindblad in 1979, Lindblad Expeditions (NASDAQ:LIND) offers cruising experiences to remote destinations in partnership with National Geographic. Revenue Growth A company's long-term sales performance can indicate its overall quality. Even a bad business can shine for one or two quarters, but a top-tier one grows for years. Luckily, Lindblad Expeditions's sales grew at an impressive 22.2% compounded annual growth rate over the last five years. Its growth beat the average consumer discretionary company and shows its offerings resonate with customers. We at StockStory place the most emphasis on long-term growth, but within consumer discretionary, a stretched historical view may miss a company riding a successful new property or trend. Lindblad Expeditions's annualized revenue growth of 15% over the last two years is below its five-year trend, but we still think the results were respectable. This quarter, Lindblad Expeditions reported robust year-on-year revenue growth of 23%, and its $167.9 million of revenue topped Wall Street estimates by 5.6%. Looking ahead, sell-side analysts expect revenue to grow 9.1% over the next 12 months, a deceleration versus the last two years. This projection is underwhelming and suggests its products and services will see some demand headwinds. Here at StockStory, we certainly understand the potential of thematic investing. Diverse winners from Microsoft (MSFT) to Alphabet (GOOG), Coca-Cola (KO) to Monster Beverage (MNST) could all have been identified as promising growth stories with a megatrend driving the growth. So, in that spirit, we've identified a relatively under-the-radar profitable growth stock benefiting from the rise of AI, available to you FREE via this link. Operating Margin Lindblad Expeditions's operating margin has been trending up over the last 12 months and averaged 3.8% over the last two years. The company's higher efficiency is a breath of fresh air, but its suboptimal cost structure means it still sports lousy profitability for a consumer discretionary business. This quarter, Lindblad Expeditions generated an operating margin profit margin of 2.6%, up 8.6 percentage points year on year. This increase was a welcome development and shows it was more efficient. Earnings Per Share Revenue trends explain a company's historical growth, but the long-term change in earnings per share (EPS) points to the profitability of that growth – for example, a company could inflate its sales through excessive spending on advertising and promotions. Although Lindblad Expeditions's full-year earnings are still negative, it reduced its losses and improved its EPS by 18.3% annually over the last five years. The next few quarters will be critical for assessing its long-term profitability. In Q2, Lindblad Expeditions reported EPS at negative $0.18, up from negative $0.48 in the same quarter last year. This print easily cleared analysts' estimates, and shareholders should be content with the results. Over the next 12 months, Wall Street is optimistic. Analysts forecast Lindblad Expeditions's full-year EPS of negative $0.30 will reach break even. Key Takeaways from Lindblad Expeditions's Q2 Results We were impressed by how significantly Lindblad Expeditions blew past analysts' EBITDA expectations this quarter. We were also glad its EPS outperformed Wall Street's estimates. On the other hand, its full-year revenue guidance was in line. Overall, we think this was a solid quarter with some key areas of upside. The stock traded up 8.3% to $12.72 immediately after reporting. Indeed, Lindblad Expeditions had a rock-solid quarterly earnings result, but is this stock a good investment here? If you're making that decision, you should consider the bigger picture of valuation, business qualities, as well as the latest earnings. We cover that in our actionable full research report which you can read here, it's free.
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Older Adults – What Modern Beauty Trends Do You Find Baffling, Sad, Or Infuriating?
We get it — there are a lot of new beauty, hair, and skincare trends out there, from thread lifts to glazed donut nails to eyelash extensions. If you consider yourself "older," we want to know — what trends do you just not understand? do you think looks terrible or strange? Maybe you're a millennial who just binge-watched Love Island and can't understand how everyone seems to have wildly long lashes all of a sudden. Or maybe you're in your forties and remember the pencil eyebrows of the ' you're now scratching your head at laminated brows. Related: Or perhaps it's bleached brows you find totally strange. Related: Or the fact that everyone has *this* hairstyle. Maybe you're in your seventies or eighties and find new skincare and anti-aging methods — like vampire facials — fascinating or even sad. Why doesn't anyone want to look their own age anymore? Whatever beauty trend you find strange, sad, or even infuriating, we want to hear about it. Let us know what it is — and how it's different from what you did as a younger adult — in the comments below or via this form, and you could be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post. Also in Community: Also in Community: Also in Community:
Yahoo
7 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Stealth Startups CEO Guy Costantini Shares Belief-Driven Leadership Model on DesignRush Podcast
In Episode No. 100 of the DesignRush Podcast, Guy Costantini breaks down how caring more than shouting, hiring believers, and building with community-first strategies drive lasting startup success in stealth mode. Miami, Florida--(Newsfile Corp. - August 4, 2025) - Guy Costantini, CEO of Stealth Startups Careers and former global marketing exec behind gaming hits like League of Legends and The Witcher, joined Episode No. 99 of the DesignRush Podcast to share how stealth-mode founders can scale with community-first strategies, ethical monetization, and humble leadership. Source: DesignRush To view an enhanced version of this graphic, please visit: In the episode, Costantini outlines why the most resilient startups don't rely on hype-they're built on trust, belief, and adaptability. "I have to really care about the thing that you are trying to bring to market," Costantini shares. "Vision and conviction are required… but adaptability is the human trait that has made us successful." Tune in to learn: Why belief-based hiring powers stealth startup momentum How global fan communities fuel traction faster than ads Why "win-win" monetization loops build brand nostalgia, not burnout How AI fits into creative leadership (hint: utility > hype) Why adaptability is the 2025 founder edge Costantini, who has led launches for some of gaming's most loved franchises, emphasizes that community is the strategic foundation. "Focus on where the magic of the fun for players is and kind of pull at that frame and build upon that." On monetization, he warns against extractive models: "You can strip mine the hell out of a category and maybe you'll get really rich... but it's destructive to our industry." Instead, his startup model focuses on lean, self-funded teams, where every hire is mission-aligned and globally distributed. "The only people working with us are people who really believe." From launching stealth ventures to steering creative teams through ambiguity, Costantini's leadership framework offers actionable insights for tech leaders, indie founders, and creative entrepreneurs navigating the modern startup landscape. Want to be featured on the DesignRush Podcast? Send an email to spotlight@ About Guy Costantini Guy Costantini is the co-founder and CEO of Stealth Startups Careers. With 16 years of experience across games, community-building, and global brand strategy, his work has helped shape major titles like League of Legends, Marvel Contest of Champions, and The Witcher. He is a vocal advocate for belief-led hiring, ethical monetization, and adaptability in leadership. About DesignRushDesignRush is a media platform and a B2B marketplace connecting businesses with agencies through expert reviews and agency ranking lists, awards, knowledge resources, and personalized agency recommendations for vetted projects. Media ContactMonika KalinovaHead of PR+1 305-370-1017monika.k@ To view the source version of this press release, please visit Sign in to access your portfolio
