The dinners for the event have been set. On Thursday evening for the informal dinner we'll be getting together at Kobe Steakhouse in Altamonte Springs. (click for map). We'll be meeting at 7:15pm. Since it's a Japanese steakhouse we'll all be sitting down at once at a variety of tables, so dinner will be starting right at 7:30.

On Friday night we'll be at Dexter's Wine Bar in Thornton Park Village (click for map). Dinner will start at 6:30 but they have a great happy hour from 5-7. I know many of us plan to head directly from Rollins College to Dexter's. (Directions from Rollins to Dexter's)

As of right now we have 31 for dinner on Thursday and 45 on Friday. That will of course grow (we hope).

Posted by Josh Hallett at 02:05 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

The first of the theme park days for BlogOrlando is still up in the air. John Frost of the Disney Blog chimed in earlier that Saturday is the busiest day of the week for the Magic Kingdom. However it will be the end of September and not July or Spring Break. As of the current count we have 22 heading to the park on Saturday and 12 on Saturday. Are any of you bringing kids and must go to the Magic Kingdom on Saturday? Or can we head to EPCOT on Saturday and have a more 'adult' day?

Our initial plan was to visit the Magic Kingdom on Saturday and then MGM Studios or EPCOT on Sunday. The park hours for the Magic Kingdom and EPCOT on Saturday, Sept 23 are 9am - 9pm so time is not really an issue.

My vote is for EPCOT on Saturday and then MK on Sunday.

Everybody is on their own for tickets. If you are a Florida resident and are planning on attending both days I would suggest the 3 Day Play Pass which is three days of admission for $120 or $40/day. That will cover both the days and then give you an extra day.

Posted by Josh Hallett at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

Here's the latest count of attendees broken down by activity:

• Thursday Dinner: 31
• Friday Conference: 53
• Friday Dinner: 45
• Saturday Theme Park: 22
• Sunday Theme Park: 12

Total attendees: 56

Posted by Chris Scott at 02:57 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

We're less than thirty days out from BlogOrlando. Registration is coming along nicely. I'll ping Chris to post the latest data on the various days. Updates wil be coming rather frequently over the next few weeks. Anything specific you want to know (other than the basic details)?

Posted by Josh Hallett at 02:42 PM | Permalink

We won't have this many people at the park, but it will be fun to get a group photo.

Posted by Josh Hallett at 08:58 AM | Permalink

Brian Oberkirch just alerted me to some great deals on Southwest flights to Orlando. Check out the Click-N-Save Specials. How does $100 round-trip to/from Nashville sound? ($49 each way).

There are some restrictions. You must book by August 31st travel between August 22 - Oct 1. That works out great for BlogOrlando!

Posted by Josh Hallett at 11:51 AM | Permalink

What is this thing called an unconference? Carl from nGen Works sent over the following link: Understanding the Unconference. It offers a good introduction to the format. The biggest issue with unconferences is the expectations of the folks that have never been to one:

The biggest challenge for unconferences may be in setting expectations for the participants. Until you have attended one, it’s difficult to appreciate the improvised nature of the event. The lack of managed direction can be something of a shock if you’re used to attending more traditional conferences, and may be off-putting to some. And, of course, since everything is put together on the fly, there’s a strong chance that finding the right sessions will be hard. Without one theme to guide the happenings of the day, the overall feel can be chaotic.

Posted by Josh Hallett at 09:53 AM | Permalink

Need some more information about Disney? Local blogger and BlogOrlando attendee John Frost runs The Disney Blog. It's not an 'official' Disney blog, so perhaps that makes it better :-)

The Disney Blog is full of great information about the parks and since it's a blog it's updated frequently.

Posted by Josh Hallett at 12:37 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Head on down to BlogOrlando and hang out at the Disney theme parks.....which just got more expensive. From the Sentinel article:

Starting Sunday, the cost of a one-day ticket to any of Walt Disney World's four parks is going up to $67 -- a 6.3 percent increase, the largest since 1991.

The hike is the second time in eight months the resort has bumped the cost of admission and represents an increase of almost 12 percent since December and 22 percent since early 2004.

Disney officials did not say what is prompting the $4 increase -- which also affects the company's Magic Your Way flexible ticket plans -- except to say the new price is in line with the needs of the travel industry.

Posted by Josh Hallett at 12:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

I went to Rollins College today to check out the venue. The primary location is the SunTrust Auditorium in the Bush Executive Center. I took some photos as I walked from the parking garage to the location and posted them on Flickr.

The auditorium seats 88 and features Wifi and a projector/screen. There is a podium with the necessary hook-ups, i.e. VGA, Ethernet, etc. There are a number of power outlets along the walls but we'll need to get some extension cords and power strips. Anybody willing to donate those?

I looked into getting a an additional classroom to split up our sessions. At this moment that is the way I am leaning...i.e. holding a few concurrent sessions and allowing the group to split up. I'll be posting the updated schedule over the weekend.

Posted by Josh Hallett at 09:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)