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SNOWBIRD RACE LOCATION INFORMATION
 The 2005 Snowbirds are going to be held at the
Orlando Grand Plaza. This is the same hotel the race has been
held at the past four years. The staff at the resort are excited about
our return and look forward to another great race week. When calling for
your reservations mention the Snowbird Nationals to get a room. They
have blocked over 200 rooms for our stay. They have sold out the last 4
years.
Orlando
Grand Plaza
7400 International Drive
Orlando, Florida 32819
Phone: (407) 996-7400
Fax: (407) 996-7453
Toll Free: (800) 327-1363
Race Dates: Feb 8th-13th, 2005
Speed Week schedule can be be found
here
Orlando Grand Plaza offers 399 spacious rooms including
5 handicap rooms, 108 Deluxe Tower rooms, 4 Alcove Suites, 12 one-bedroom
Garden Suites and 1 two-bedroom Presidential Suite. Each room has 2 Queen beds
or 1 King bed, a mini refrigerator, microwave, hair dryer, iron and ironing
board, coffee maker, direct-dial phone, central heat/air, remote control 25'
color TV with free ESPN & Disney Channel, Pay Per View movies and Sony Play
Station.
Orlando Grand Plaza is located in the
heart of Orlandos attractions, on Orlandos world famous International Drive.
Orlando Grand Plaza offers free transportation to Walt Disney World Theme Parks, Sea
World, Wet N Wild Water Park. Dozens of shops, dining and theaters are within
easy walking distance. On-site amenities include 2 beautiful swimming pools,
one covered and heated and one outdoor, state-of-the-art game room, lighted
tennis court, car rental desk, beauty salon, multilingual staff, gift/sundry
shop, coin operated laundry room, basketball, 4 shuffleboard courts, ticket
and transportation desk.
Within walking distance area attractions include Wet N Wild, Ripleys
Believe it or Not, Titanic Ship of Dreams, and Pirates at Colossal Studios.
One mile away, you will find Sleuths Mystery Dinner Show, Pirates Dinner
Adventure, and Blazing Pianos. Within 2 miles is Universal Studios Florida,
Universal Islands of Adventure, Orange County Convention & Visitors Center;
Sea World is 3 miles; Walt Disney World Resort is 8 miles and 12 miles away
you will find Orlando International Airport. It is only a short drive the
beaches and Kennedy Space Center.
Check out these places close to the Snowbirds:
 
 
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UPDATED
HOTEL PICTURES - 01/07/05
   The
garden area is where many racers pit and hang out. This is also where
the 'Winner's Circle' will be for '05 award presentations and pictures.
The Parma/PSE Concourse will be held here on Sunday, along with the raffle.
Plus the tire truing area is setup here.
NEW
HOTEL OWNERSHIP and NEW HOTEL NAME
  The
hotel has undergone many changes the past few years. It now has a new
permanent name and new ownership! The new hotel plans to have all rooms operational by our race and they are
  spending
millions to renovate the entire facility. Last year the hotel was
limited to only 225 rooms. They have in their plans for a new sports bar
and grill by the track called the 'Skybox' and it may be open
for 2005's race! I made a trip there Sat Nov. 13th and saw all of the
improvements being made. I am very excited about our future at the
Grand!
"A huge thanks goes out
to the hotel for their support of the Snowbirds!"
*If you have already made your reservation,
everything stays the same and you don't have to do anything. Changing
hotel names doesn't affect our race.
  COFFEE!
Right next door is an all new Dunkin Donuts! Also beside the race track
is a cool
Volcano Mini-Golf place. International Drive has it all:
entertainment, food, fun, shopping, more!!!
NEW NEIGHBORS BY THE RACE TRACK
  Right
next to the hotel is the Salt Island Chop House. It is Orlando's newest
swanky surf and turf restaurant, with atmosphere and prices to impress. The
oceanic theme is theme-park mesmerizing. Indoor waterfalls, custom
furniture and fishing-pole
  light
fixtures dangling glowing glass jellyfish are among the visual wonders.
The local review
here. This place is right next door so you can
bring your family 2 way radios and listen to the racing action we have broadcasting!!
YEA!
LOCAL
ORLANDO TOURIST INFORMATION
There are a ton of things to do for you and your family while here at the
Snowbirds. Please visit
FLAUSA.com for some great local info and to help plan your stay!
There you can find links to all Orlando has to offer.
"What most visitors think of as Orlando actually
includes Kissimmee and Lake Buena Vista as well. Walt Disney
World's theme parks are mandatory magic for Central Florida visitors. The
spires of Cinderella's castle are familiar around the world as the symbol of
The Magic Kingdom, Disney's original park in Lake Buena Vista. The castle is a
fantastic backdrop for playful rides and roaming characters such as
international celebrity, Mickey Mouse. Disney's Animal Kingdom, its
 newest
adventure park, is filled with the natural drama of life in the wild. Visitors
have thrilling encounters with animals from real life, the distant past, and
imagination. The latest addition to Disney's Animal Kingdom is Asia, which
showcases the exotic wildlife and lush rain forests of the continent's
southern region. Guests embark on many fascinating journeys, encountering
natural mysteries at every turn.
 Epcot is a two-part educational and cultural attraction designed
to challenge the mind and satisfy the senses. Here, you can sample a warm
croissant at a bakery in France, tap your foot to an authentic oom-pah band in
Germany, learn about the age of dinosaurs, and take an exhilarating trip
through the human body all in one day! Disney-MGM Studios allows visitors to
see Disney animators creating wonderful characters and explains movie-making
on an entertaining backlot tour.
 Universal Studios Florida shares the movie-making theme of Disney-MGM
Studios,
but attractions are presented quite differently here. At Universal, promoters
say you can "ride the movies." Some rides provide an entertaining look at
famous movies of the past, such as "Kongfrontation," where guests meet King
Kong on the New York subway. Jaws, Earthquake, Terminator 2: 3-D Battle Across
Time and the works of Hitchcock are among the park's other movie attractions.
Twister, a technological marvel, invites guests to experience the awesome live
spectacle and destructive nature of an actual tornado, a mere 20 feet away.
Universal's newest park is Universal Studios Islands of Adventure. Five
islands, each with a distinct personality, offer something for everyone.
Experience the bustling marketplace of Port of Entry, battles between good and
evil on Marvel Super Hero Island, slapstick ruckuses at Toon Lagoon,
prehistoric megalosaurs in Jurassic Park, mythical sorcerers on the Lost
Continent, and fanciful revelry at Seuss Landing.
 Visitors to Central Florida will want to explore natural attractions as
well as fantastical ones, and
SeaWorld is a wonderful place to start. Now guests can be Trainer for a Day,
working alongside real SeaWorld animal trainers to learn training techniques,
feeding, and show preparation. Attractions include the "Pacific Point
Preserve," a sea lion and seal habitat which mimics the rocky, northern
Pacific coastline; and "Manatees: The Last Generation?" an up-close look at
the endangered sea cow. SeaWorld's newest attraction is Wild Arctic, which
takes visitors on a chilling adventure to experience the natural beauty of the
arctic. Visitors come face to face with real polar bears, walruses, harbor
seals and beluga whales. The highlight of a visit to SeaWorld is the "Shamu:
New Visions" show during which killer whales interact with trainers, defy
gravity in breathtaking leaps; and make a big splash (and a wet audience!)
with a flick of the tail and 52-degree water
 Dinner
attractions are very popular in the Orlando area and also center around
themes, whether of an era or an ethnicity. Medieval Times Dinner and
Tournament in Kissimmee allows you to cheer a knight to victory. Disney's
Pleasure Island celebrates New Year's Eve every night with laser lights and
dancing in the streets. Universal Studios CityWalk is a colossal 30-acre
entertainment mecca, where themed restaurants, nightclubs, cinemas, live
entertainment, and shopping abound.
Shopping areas in Orlando have as much variety as the local
attractions. Souvenirs of your adventures, for both yourself and your friends
back home are easy to find. Outlet centers and factory stores abound here and
offer some of the best bargains in town. Shopping areas in Orlando and
Kissimmee are also popular for their fun environments, such as at
Pointe*Orlando, Disney Village Market Place or Old Town in Kissimmee."
*some info
from flausa.com
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MORE
INFORMATION ON RACE HOTEL
Services and Amenities:
State of the art game room
Lighted tennis court
Free shuttle to major theme parks
Car rental desk
Professional taxi and limo service
Multi-lingual staff
Gift/sundry shop
Coin operated guest laundry room
2 beautiful pools, covered/heated
Basketball
4 Shuffleboard courts
Ticket and transportation desk
These
are Offered in the Hotel Rooms:
Mini refrigerator
Microwave and wet bar
Hair Dryer
Iron and ironing board
Coffee maker
Direct-dial phone w/ data port/mail
In-room safes
Central heat/air
Valet laundry
Remote control color TV
Free ESPN & Disney Channel
Pay Per View Movies
Sony Play Station
Suites also include a wet bar
Local Dining near the Hotel:
Boston Lobster,
3/10th of a mile
Bennigans,
3/10th of a mile
Chili's,
2/10th of a mile
Chuck E Cheese,
walking distance
Ocean Grill,
3/4 mile
Perkins Restaurant,
2/10th of a
mile
Ponderosa Steak,
3/10th of a
mile
Red Lobster,
1 mile
Ronnie's Steak,
walking
distance
Wild Jack's,
walking distance |
