There are always a few tourists that need death defying excitement on their Orlando vacation. Most thrill-seekers are content with roller coaster rides, alligator shows or zip line adventures. I know I am! No doubt there are many exciting things to do during your vacation here. However, you might want to know about a couple of exciting attractions – one will not be available for much longer, and one is a once-a-year event. If you plan to check out these two exciting events, you’d better use some of your adrenaline and do it soon.
Want to drive this awesome car? You’d better do it soon!
WDW Speedway / Richard Petty Driving Experience
The Walt Disney World Speedway and Richard Petty Driving Experience will be closing this summer. One of the thrilling aspects of this attraction was the Exotic Driving Experience. Read our earlier post about this experience. Starting July 1, 2015, you will no longer be able to race around the track at unheard of speeds in a car you might only be able to dream about driving.
ORLANDO TOURIST TIP: If this closing will affect your late summer vacation, never fear. You can travel an hour and a half northeast of Disney and have the same Exotic Driving Experience at the Daytona International Speedway. It will still require advanced planning due to the Speedway in Daytona undergoing a huge renovation.
World Sword Swallower’s Day
So you want to be a sword swallower? Ripley’s Believe It or Not will hold a free sword swallowing performance on February 28, 2015. This will be the 8th annual celebration. There are only a handful of people in the world that are able to practice this art. I wonder why…
If you are also curious about this death defying act, you’ll be able to watch these three professionals:
- Dan Meyer, World Sword Swallower’s Day founder and America’s Got Talent finalist, will attempt several death-defying feats. Meyer has swallowed as many as 21 swords at one time.
- Franz Huber, who is coming all the way from Germany to participate.
- Haley Hall, who at just 16 years old may be the youngest sword swallower in the world.
ORLANDO TOURIST TIP: This event is very entertaining. It also raises awareness of the contributions sword swallowers have made in the field of science and medicine. Not many know this, but they also raise money for esophageal cancer research.
The FREE show will be held February 28 and starts at 1:30 p.m. The official “swallow” will commence at 2:28:15 pm, just like the date 2/28/15. This isn’t so odd, after all, this special event in Orlando is held at the Odditorium! You may also be able to catch this death defying show at Odditoriums in New York City, Hollywood, San Francisco, Baltimore, Gatlinburg, Myrtle Beach, Branson, Atlantic City, Orlando, St. Augustine, Panama City Beach, Key West and Grand Prairie. For more information, visit the Ripley’s Believe It or Not web site.
Not everyone needs this level of excitement while on vacation. The theme parks in Orlando offer many thrills. Let us know what your most-thrilling ride or theme park is by commenting below. What gets your adrenaline going?
