Posted: November 13, 2003

Info By: Andrew H
Article By: Tim Smyth
Edited By: Kyle Young

It used to be when you would plan a trip to Orlando, Florida, you tended to stay at the Walt Disney World resort for most of your trip. But in the early 90’s, the folks over at Universal Studios came up with a park to give the ole mouse a run for it’s money, and these potential vacationers turned their attention to this new park.
And it looks like it is now working. With two incredible parks, and three world-class hotels, Universal Orlando is becoming a powerhouse in the town that once was inhabited by the mouse.

Within the Universal Orlando, there are three world-class resorts. These include the Portofino Bay Hotel; a recreation of Portofino, a seaside village in Italy.

 

Here you will find three swimming pools, a spa, and eight restaurants and lounges. Second is the Hard Rock Hotel®. This hotel has a rock ‘n’ roll theme to it. Included at the Hard Rock is a sand beach pool with a water slide, plenty of rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia, and five restaurants and lounges. The hotel was given the AAA Four Diamond Award®.

Lastly The Royal Pacific Hotel, that gives the guests a feeling of being in a tropical paradise. The hotel has a swimming pool, five restaurants and lounges, and the Mariner’s Club, set up for the pleasure of children. All the hotels give guests unlimited service to the Express program at the theme parks.

Disney is known for being family oriented with its kid friendly rides. The people at Universal knew to attract crowds with older kids, they knew they had to include THRILLS, and boy did they succeed at that. Six roller coasters, the Incredible Hulk, Dueling Dragons (Fire & Ice), Pteranodon Flyers, Woody Woodpecker's Nuthouse Coaster, and the Flying Unicorn; dominate the skyline.

With a combined total of over 210 mph and 17 inversions, these rides will surely blow you away! UO also has a large variety of simulator rides, including Men In Black, Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius, Shrek 4D, Back to the Future…The Ride, Terminator 2: 3-D Battle Across Time (all located at USF), and the ever popular Amazing Adventures of Spiderman (IOA). These rides use state-of-the-art technology to give guests a ride that they will never forget.

If you don’t want thrills. try the water rides. Jurassic Park River Adventure, Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls, and Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge Rat Barges are the three water rides, all located at IOA. These rides will make you laugh and make you scared. And caution, you WILL get soaked!!

If you have kids you want to bring along, don’t worry, there are plenty of things for kids to do. There are six rides at IOA directed towards kids (Storm Force Accelatron, Pteranodon Flyers, Flying Unicorn, The Cat In the Hat, Caro-Seuss-el, and One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish), as well as three play areas (If I Ran the Zoo..., Me Ship, The Olive; and Camp Jurassic).

At USF, there are two rides (E.T. Adventure 20th Anniversary and Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster); two play areas (Fievel’s Playland and Curious George Goes To Town), and two shows (A Day in the Park with Barney and Animal Planet Live!).

In all, Universal Orlando has 25 rides, over 50 places to eat, and much more! These parks will give you memories to last a lifetime. Why have fairies and pixie dust, when you can have comic book heroes and green slime?

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Orlando Area Weather Forecast

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Smyth Lumber To Merge With Stock Building Supply

Company Overview

Beginning in 1986 with the acquisition of Carolina Builders based in Raleigh, North Carolina, Wolseley plc of the United Kingdom sought to invest in the fast-growing North American home building industry.

Since the initial purchase, Stock Building Supply has become the largest supplier of building materials to professionals in the United States, growing at a remarkable pace with over 200 locations in 24 states and sales exceeding $2.7 billion a year.

Our growth, through the purchase of venerable old lumber companies and the construction of new locations, has helped us develop a national presence. Combining under the name, Stock Building Supply, both old and new businesses continue to provide quality materials, fair prices and superior service.

Financial Information

Stock Building Supply is the largest supplier of building materials to professional home builders and contractors in the United States with fiscal year 2002 sales of $2.7 billion. Wolseley, our parent company, has been publicly traded since May of 2001 and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "WOS."

With headquarters in Reading, England, Wolseley has operations in 11 countries worldwide with annual revenue exceeding $12 billion. Visit the Wolseley website to view their annual report and learn more.

For information on investing in our company, consult your local listings or financial advisor. You can invest through financial institutions such as full-service brokers, discount brokers, and online brokers. Minimums, fees and other terms vary.

Company Facts

	Carolina Holdings formed in 1986 by Wolseley's purchase of Carolina Builders.
	Business built through acquisitions of existing family-owned businesses, with solid market share and a stable associate base.
	Currently over 200 locations in 24 states.
	All locations will operate under one common name –- Stock Building Supply.
	Stock Building Supply is financially backed by Wolseley (NYSE: WOS), based in Reading, England
	Sister companies in North America include: Ferguson and Familian Northwest.
	Companies taking the Stock Building Supply name include: Anderson Lumber, C.C. Loose Lumber, Calcasieu Lumber, Carolina Builders, Carolina Holdings, Carolina Truss, Columbia Lumber, Crissey Fowler Lumber, Delaware Lumber, Denlinger Building Materials, Denpak Building Products, Erb Lumber, Fairfax Lumber & Millwork, General Builders Supply, Inter-State Lumber, Johnson-Howard Lumber, Kroonenberg Lumber, Lexington Builders Supply, McGinnes Lumber, Stock Lumber, Stuart Lumber, Terry Companies, Venture Door & Trim, Virginia Lumber, Wilson Brothers Lumber

Need A Job For the Holidays?

If you would like a job for the holiday season, Universal Orlando is having a holiday job fair on November 21 and 22 for seasonal opportunities in both universal parks and citywalk!  All applicants must be able to work throughout the holiday season, December 20- January 5.  If you have any questions, just e-mail me at fireandice1324@yahoo.com