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Universal Orlando announced the closing of one of the park’s original and enduring rides, Jaws. Jaws and the entire Amity area will be closing this week–and news and rumors of a possible replacement have already hit the net.

Jaws still offered plenty of thrills, but the ride had been showing signs of age in recent years, with outdated technology and effects. You may have missed your chance to ride Jaws before the closure, but details are emerging about an exciting new replacement for this area.

The Orlando Sentinel and the Theme Park Insider are reporting news of a new Harry Potter-themed ride and expanded attraction area in this location. The detailed report includes news of a Gringott’s bank-themed ride, which would replace Jaws, and an expansion of the popular Wizarding World of Harry Potter.

While Universal Orlando has not yet confirmed the report of the new Harry Potter themed rides and attraction area, the Orlando Sentinel and Theme Park Insider have both provided sound information in the past. The closure of Jaws clears up a large enough area within the park to hold something as large as a Gringotts-themed indoor ride, and the Wizarding World has been a huge hit. Expanding it with another thrill ride seems like a good plan, particularly since the Dueling Dragons lost a bit of their bite earlier this year.

Since Universal Orlando offers some of the most thrilling rides in town, they are an essential part of any Orlando vacation. We’ll be following the story closely, and post details about the park’s plans for this area as they emerge.

Disney World has recently shared more details about the new Art of Animation resort, opening in May 2012. The Art of Animation is a huge addition to the popular Value resort category, and is designed to house families of all sizes on  Disney World property.

The new resort will be a welcome addition to the Disney World hotel line up; with only four value resorts, it was sometimes difficult to grab a room at a decent price during the busy season. The Art of Animation will add 1500 rooms to the property, a huge increase that will help ensure room availability.

The resort, set to open in May 2012, will offer rooms with four different themes. Each section is based on a different Disney or Pixar film, including the Lion King, the Little Mermaid, Cars and Finding Nemo. The rooms, furnishings, pools and playgrounds are designed with the films in mind, so guests staying in the “Cars” wing will be treated to Cozy-Cone inspired interiors and automotive themed furnishings.

The opening of the Art of Animation is particularly helpful to families with more than two children. Up until now, rooms that were large enough to accommodate a big family were hard to come by. Over 1000 of the rooms at the new resort will be family suites, large enough to handle families traveling with multiple children. The addition of affordable, family friendly suites makes the Art of Animation a don’t miss for large groups wishing to stay onsite.

While the Art of Animation doesn’t open until May, you can book a room now–if you are planning an Orlando vacation for spring, you won’t want to miss the newest Disney resort.

Christmas (and the entire month of December) is one of the most joyous times of year to visit Disney World in Orlando, Florida. This is not exactly a secret, and leads to huge crowds flooding the parks for most of the month. Even though the parks are crowded, you can still have plenty of fun, if you plan each day with care. Consider these ideas to help you get the most from your holiday Orlando vacation:

• Arrive early, stay late: If you want to experience as many rides as possible, set you alarm clock for early in the morning (or get an early wakeup call). You’ll have some time to play before the parks fill with festive crowds. This is particularly important if you plan on visiting the Magic Kingdom, which is small in area, and wildly popular this time of year.
• Stay on site: If possible, choose a resort that is part of the Disney family and is on site. You will be close by, so you will have less trouble with traffic–and you’ll get to take advantage of Disney’s Extra Magic Hour program as well.
• Use Fastpass: Take advantage of Disney’s free Fastpass program, and you will spend less time waiting in line, and more time actually having fun. Fastpass allows you to save your place in a ride queue, without actually standing in the line–just show up at the designated time and you’ll be sent to the front of the line.
• Avoid peak times: The theme parks will be at their busiest during the afternoon, and you won’t miss much by leaving for a few hours. Either plan on having a late lunch or early dinner around 3pm, or leave the park entirely and explore your (or another) resort for a few hours. The Disney resorts have plenty to see and do at Christmas time, so you’ll find plenty of ways to stay occupied. Head back to the park after dinner, for fewer crowds and less waiting.

While you may not expect to see much holiday spirit from a theme park that focuses on marine life, Sea World puts on a surprising Christmas display that rivals any holiday event in the area. If you will be heading to Florida for an Orlando vacation this holiday season, be sure to stop by Sea World and take in some Christmas fun. Holiday events at Sea World are included with your theme park admission, so you won’t have to pay for a separate ticket to enjoy the fun.

Christmas at Sea World Highlights:

The Christmas experience at Sea World begins with a ride on the Polar Express. Guests board the train, modeled after the classic storybook and holiday film. After a brief trip, riders are deposited in the North Pole. The Polar Express experience is sure to please riders of all ages, and you can expect a ride that features sights, sounds and effects right out of the movie.

The park’s most popular resident, Shamu, hosts a Christmas event as well. The Shamu Christmas…Miracles show features popular carols, extravagant lighting and a special holiday performance by the popular killer whale himself. Shamu Christmas…Miracles is performed on select evenings in November and December in Shamu Stadium.

Families traveling with little ones won’t want to miss the Sesame Street themed Christmas event in Sea World, A Sesame Street Christmas. This show, geared towards the preschool set, is performed daily and features a post show meet and greet session any toddler will love. If you are heading to Sea World early in the day, make a reservation for a Christmas Breakfast with Elmo, a character dining experience designed to delight the parks smallest guests.

Clyde and Seymour’s Countdown to Christmas features the parks fun-loving sea lions, along with a host of other animal friends, and will entertain park goers of all ages. This special Christmas show is performed on select evenings in November and December, and is a fun way to start off your evening in the park.

If there is one character that can be considered the enduring face of an Orlando vacation, it is Mickey Mouse. In the last year, Disney World has offered more ways than ever to meet the main mouse himself, including a recently announced talking, interactive Mickey theme park character.

Mickey Mouse Fastpass:

If you’ve visited one of the Disney World theme parks in recent years, you ‘ve probably met Mickey — after waiting in a hefty line. The first change in the “Mickey Meet and Greet” offers guests the option to use Disney’s Fastpass program to avoid waiting in a long line to visit with Mickey Mouse. If getting Mickey’s autograph without delay interests you, then head to the Magic Kingdom theme park.

Just inside the park gates, adjacent to the railway station and Tony’s Town Square restaurant, is a Fastpass greeting location. You can pick up a pass to meet with Mickey later in the day; you can expect to wait a few minutes for your meeting — instead of an hour or more. You can also meet the Disney princesses in this location using the Fastpass program. If you are traveling with small children, being able to meet the characters without waiting in a huge line is a great way to add some magic to your Orlando vacation. The Fastpass program is free and included with your theme park admission, so you won’t pay any extra for your timely meeting.

Mickey Mouse has traditionally interacted with guests via pantomime and gestures — he doesn’t normally speak. While Mickey usually gets his point across just fine, a talking Mickey encounter is at the top of the wishlist for many fans.

The wait to talk to Mickey Mouse is over — Disney World just announced a pilot program featuring in interactive, vocal Mickey Mouse. This program is currently being tested in the Disney World theme parks–so if you are coming to Orlando this fall, stop in and say hi to Mickey Mouse–you may just get a verbal answer in return!