Trip Report: Nonstop Service From/To Tokyo!

Yesterday morning we were following the progress of ZIPAIR flight ZG714, the first nonstop flight ever of a passenger airline between Japan and Florida. When the flight was near Winnipeg, we knew we needed to head over to Orlando International Airport to check it out!

LOOK! Up in the sky! It's a bird, it's a plane, it's ZIPAIR. 

With the City Beautiful in the background, ZG714 taxiing to the gate at Terminal C. 

ZIPAIR uses a Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner on the route.

Check-in action at the ZIPAIR ticket counter.

What a beautiful sight for Orlando International Airport. The Tokyo flights are just temporary but will be used to gauge interest for permanent service.

Up close with the Boeing 787-8.

The flight board. The only thing wrong here is that I wasn't getting to fly on it. It was tempting; just $300 one way to Tokyo-Narita on ZIPAIR plus 30,000 American AAdvantage miles to return home. Cheap! Sadly, just didn't have the time to pull it off but I did research the possibility.

Outbound passengers were treated to Japanese goodies at the gate.

On a flight day you could conceivably go to Tokyo Disneyland in the morning, depart Narita at 2:30PM that afternoon, arrive Orlando at 2:40PM the same day (thanks to the international date line) and go to Disney World the same evening!

Ain't she a beauty!

Upcoming Florida Music Festivals

SUN DROP FESTIVAL

Saturday, March 17th

Manatee Island, Daytona Beach, FL

Information & Advance Tickets: LINK 

OKEECHOBEE MUSIC & ARTS FESTIVAL

Thursday, March 19th - Sunday, March 22nd 

Sunshine Grove, Okeechobee, FL 

Information & Advance Tickets: LINK 

 

ULTRA MUSIC FESTIVAL

Friday, March 26th - Sunday, March 28th

Bayfront Park, Miami, FL

Information & Advance Tickets: LINK 

 

FORBIDDEN KINGDOM MUSIC FESTIVAL

Saturday, April 25 - Sunday, April 26

Central Florida Fairgrounds, Orlando, FL

Information & Advance Tickets: LINK

Club Reports: Mullets Sports Bar, Winter Garden Music Festival, Alfie’s HiFi, Luna Bar, Broken Strings Brewery

Yesterday the Winter Garden Music Festival was taking place downtown and since we live in Winter Garden, we had to be there. Pictured: live band O-Town Motown (USA) . It was one of 5 stops we made Saturday and you can find all the pics on sister website Orlando Entertainment News HERE.

 

Club Reports: Good Times Bar & Grill, Morse Code, Grape & The Grain

DJ Frankmatik (USA) and DJ Eccentra (USA) played a wild House music set last night at our final stop. All the Friday night pics can be found on sister website Orlando Entertainment News HERE.

 

Friday Funny

 

This Weekend In Techno Town

The events just keep on coming!

FRI     20FEB     SWIRLERY     DJ Arcade Apocalypse (USA)

FRI     20FEB     GRAPE & GRAIN     DJ Eccentra (USA)

FRI     20FEB     PALM TREE CLUB     DJ Kyle Cooke (USA)

FRI     20FEB     CELINE     2000's Hits Party

FRI     20FEB     MORSE CODE     DJ Scot Marc (USA) 

FRI     20FEB     ALFIE'S HIFI     DJ Flyguy (USA) 

SAT    21FEB     BROKEN STRINGS     DJ Losman (USA)

SAT    21FEB     SUN ON THE BCH     DJ Miraxy (USA)  11am-5pm

SAT    21FEB     LUNA BAR     DJ Mighty Shari (USA)

SAT    21FEB     MULLETS SPORTS BAR     DJ Kris Kokopelli (USA) 

SAT    21FEB     ELIXIR BAR     DJ Ferra Black (USA) 

SAT    21FEB     MONKEY BAR     DJ Edd Enand (USA) 

SAT    21FEB     ALFIE'S HIFI     DJ Brian Burnside (USA) 

 

Breaking News: Luke Combs' Category 10 Coming To CityWalk

It was announced yesterday that Luke Combs' Category 10 bar, restaurant and music venue concept will be coming to Universal CityWalk next year with construction to begin later this year. It will be only their 3rd location after Nashville (open) and Las Vegas (under construction). Sources say the 3-story venue will be located on the waterfront approximately across from Margaritaville. 

Pleasure Island had minimal success with their two Country music venues that existed over the years. But Universal may be seeing the draw that PBR Cowboy Bar is having over at Live at The Pointe! as well as Blake Shelton's Ole Red at Icon Park. Both are just a few miles south along Universal Blvd. 

Most importantly, it's good to see Universal invest in their CityWalk nightlife complex which has grown stagnant this decade. We'd love to see them reinvent dance club The Groove in the current escape room space. That place used to be a cash cow. We published a rumor last year that that might happen but have not heard anything more. Universal has moved well-beyond having just 3 hotels and many guests are looking for nightlife. If they can't find it at CityWalk, they'll go to The Pointe or Icon Park. That's $$$ leaving property every night. 

We're not fans of Country music but this is still great news. Indeed, who is this Luke Combs guy? Is he a DJ? Big thanks to reader Jake Wheeler for the alert!

Weekly feature "This Weekend In Techno Town" will post tomorrow. 

PI Update: Fashionistas

Whether it's camouflage from the Army or bell-bottoms from the Navy, fashion has often borrowed (or stolen) ideas from the military. It's a slow news day on the Island today so we LINK to this article on the subject as seen in Army Times.

 

PI Update: Last Man Standing

Pleasure Island's club signs were removed in two stages. The first group were removed immediately after the Final Night and the rest of them a couple years later during the event we called the "Putsch". But curiously, the sign at Soundstage Club was the last sign standing. Well not these two signs out front facing West End Plaza. Those did come down early.

No, we're talking about this rear-facing sign along the back of the club. No one could ever explain to us why it too wasn't removed earlier. It did not come down until the entire building was razed during the conversion over to Disney Springs.

Club Reports: Daylite Love Fest @ Elixir, Grumpys Underground, Iron Cow

Daytime House music parties are now all the rage, including here in Orlando. Yesterday morning we headed out to a Valentines-themed House party at Elixir Bar. Saturday day and Saturday night pictures can be found on sister website Orlando Entertainment News HERE.

 

Club Reports: Broken Strings Brewery, EVO @ Good Times Bar & Grill, Bikkuri Lounge

We had a daytime House music event today so the link to our article about Friday night was delayed. The above group was just some of the DJ's we saw last night around Orlando. You can find all the pics on sister website Orlando Entertainment News HERE.

 

Friday Funny

Are you a member of any of these hated groups?

 

DS Update: Right Before Everything Closed

We were out at beautiful Pleasure Island in mid-February, 2020, right before the shit hit the fan with the Covid-19 closures. At that moment, we just had no idea.

 

This Weekend In Techno Town

Another big O-Town weekend ahead:

THU   12FEB     OLIV BAR     DJ Kris Kokopelli (USA) 

FRI     13FEB     GOOD TIMES     Evo: DJ Rob Bates (USA)

FRI     13FEB     IRON COW     Jungle Love 2: DJ Circle K (USA)

FRI     13FEB     CELINE     Galactic Circus: DJ Sloth (USA) 

FRI     13FEB     BROKEN STRINGS     Galentines: DJ Ms MF (USA)

FRI     13FEB     ALFIE'S HIFI     DJ Romano Arcaini (D/USA) 

FRI     13FEB     BIKKURI LOUNGE     Devotion: DJ Mighty Shari (USA)

SAT    14FEB     ELIXIR     Daylite Love Fest: DJ Chino   10am-4pm 

SAT    14FEB     VANGUARD     DJ Getter (USA)

SAT    14FEB     GRUMPYS     DJ Darcii Darka (USA)

SAT    14FEB     ATTIC      Satisfaction: 2010 to 2017 EDM Bangers 

SAT    14FEB     GRAPE & GRAIN     DJ Alex Chang (USA)

SAT    14FEB     ANTHEM     Who Killed Cupid: DJ Edil Hernandez (USA)

SAT    14FEB     SOUTHERN BOX     DJ Frankmatik (USA)  6pm-9pm 

 

CW Update: John Lennon Room Atop Hard Rock Live Is Open

The John Lennon Room atop Hard Rock Live in Universal CityWalk is now open to the public on Friday and Saturday nights. There's a bar up there, a DJ spinning and impressive views of the CityWalk complex. As indicated, open 9PM to midnight on those two nights. This is typically rental event space so can't wait to check it out and report back.

 

Uni Update: Horror Make Up Show To Be Refreshed

My favorite attraction at Universal Studios is the Horror Make Up Show. I could sit through it multiple times in one visit to the park and never get bored. But one of our readers reported that the attraction is going to be closing.....but probably just temporarily.

Not sure if it's considered an expensive attraction to operate. There are two main actors for each show, a Tech and usually one or two lobby people. The actors are presumably well-paid; we've seen many of them over-and-over again during multiple years so they seem to be doing well.

 

So supposedly this is just going to be refreshed. We hope that's all it is because as corny as the gags are, it's one of a kind and so funny. If you typically walk right by this place, give it a try.

Concert Report: DJ Kaskade (Universal Studios)

The Mardi Gras concert series for this year kicked-off last night at Universal Studios and our sister website Orlando Entertainment News was there to see it. Pics are posted HERE.

Club Reports: 480N Wine Bar, Abyss @ Good Times Bar & Grill

DJ Cub (USA) and DJ Mighty Shari (USA) delivered a mix of 70's Disco and Nu Disco last night at the grand opening of 480N Wine Bar in Winter Park Village. Friday night photos can be found on our sister website Orlando Entertainment News HERE.

Friday Funny

 

DS Update: Pop Gallery?

When we came across this kiosk in Riverboat Square back in the summer of 2021, we forgot to ask whether the owner was the same young woman that owned the original Pop Gallery located in Downtown Disney West Side. That location, in an alley between the theaters and the bowling alley, was larger than this kiosk but not by much. The original location is now home to doughnut specialist Everglazed.