Welcome to Monday Morning in Orlando
Our fam lost a cherished member this weekend and spent a lot of time traveling as a result. Barely came in under the wire on this morning’s edition, but here we are!
“Nighty-night,” GPB
In today’s issue: 👇
- A Ballroom, a President….
- Got a Pothole?
- SLAP!
- ….and much more
Did someone forward this email to you? If so, subscribe here.
Let’s dive in!
- Philip
P.S. Want some hawt community sourced foodie recommendations? Check out the Orlando Signal Restaurant Guide, right here.
ORLANDO REWIND ⏪
A Ballroom, a President, and the Secret That Built Orlando
Last week, I covered the unveiling of a bronze plaque near the east entrance of MAA Parkside on Central Blvd, marking the spot where Walt Disney dropped the biggest bombshell in Florida history. That plaque sits on the bones of the Cherry Plaza Hotel, and trust me, one press conference barely scratches the surface.
This place started life in 1950 as a boring apartment tower called Eola Plaza. Then broadcaster William Cherry bought it, slapped his name on it, and added a 1,200-seat convention facility. Its crown jewels? A ballroom called the Egyptian Room, and a nightclub called the Bamboo Room.
Suddenly, the swankiest address in town.
The Minnesota Twins called it the best hotel in Orlando. LBJ literally slept over in 1964, the first sitting president to spend the night in the city.
And then Walt Disney walked into the Egyptian Room in 1965 and told the world about "Project X." Known today as Walt Disney World.
Today it's MAA Parkside, back to being apartments like nothing ever happened.
Decades of wild history hiding behind a very ordinary front door.
👉 How about a deeper dive? Check out my Cherry Plaza Hotel expanded version, right here.
🔥 Also, check out Walt Disney’s press conference from 1965, right here!
🍜 Your Taste Buds Are Underperforming
While you were reheating leftovers for Sunday dinner, last week we dropped a walking foodie tour through Mills 50's Michelin-recognized kitchens on taking place on Sunday, March 29th.
You're welcome!
The Orlando Signal Mills 50 Nom Nom Walking Foodie Tour hits several tasting spots in two hours (3–5 p.m.). We’re talking Asian street food, mom-and-pop gems, sweet treats, vibrant murals, and a local guide who knows every story behind every block on this scrumptious walking tour.
😎 Your friends are going to wish they saw this first.
Only 12 spots offered. First come, first served. The bao buns will not wait for you.
👉 Get the full scoop and save your spot, right here.
THE SQUEEZE 🍊
Got a Pothole? There’s an App for That.
March 11th was Orange County's 311 Day, and yes, there was a whole day dedicated to the unsung hero of local government.
Think of 311 as your county's customer service desk, minus the hold music and department-hopping.
Got a stray animal wandering your yard? A pothole slowly eating your tires? A permit question nobody seems to know the answer to? Plus a whole lot more. That's where residents start.
The mobile app made it even easier: snap a photo, submit a request, and actually watch it get resolved in real time. Every report gets a timestamped record, which is more than your neighborhood Facebook group could promise.
Emergencies? That still 911's job.
🧠 Get the deets on Orange County’s 311 services and app, right here!
Five Years, One Fire, and a Fresh Start for Pet Alliance
Nearly five years after an electrical fire killed 17 cats and leveled its Conroy Road facility, Pet Alliance of Greater Orlando is finally ready to party, and move in.
The new shelter on John Young Parkway opens March 28th with a noon celebration featuring plenty of adoptable faces hoping to charm their way into a forever home, food trucks, and live entertainment.
The 25,000-square-foot facility brings a dedicated veterinary clinic, Florida's largest shelter medical unit, air-conditioned housing, double the medical space, and species-specific quarantine areas to the table.
Pet Alliance has raised $14,685,000 of its $15 million goal. Just $315,000 stands between them and the finish line.
(Learn lots more about Pet Alliance's big comeback with Christie Zizo, right here)
Pews, Parking Lots, and a Housing Plan
Orange County commissioners have found an unlikely ally in the fight for affordable housing: the church parking lot. The newly approved Affordable Housing for Religious Institutional Lands program, AHRIL, opens the door for housing to be built on religious-owned property, tackling a deficit of roughly 75,000 apartment units countywide.
Rooted in Florida's Senate Bill 1730, the program swings for the fences on affordability, targeting 100% of units, leaving the state's modest 10% minimum in the dust.
Faith leaders point out that congregations are sitting on acres of prime, under-used land just waiting to pull double duty. Consider it tithe paid in square footage.
The broader Housing for All plan calls for 11,000 affordable units by 2030.
(Get the full scoop on why Orange County is turning to churches to help fix its housing crisis with Emma Delamo, right here)
💼 This Week’s Curated Jobs
Sourced from the Orlando Signal Job Board!
⚡ Together with JobOwl. Get past the robots, get to the interview. JobOwl customizes your resume for any job in seconds. Try it here.
💊 Director, Government Market Access
Bristol-Myers Squibb | South Region (Remote Field-Based)
Be the strategic mastermind getting life-saving medications approved across 11 Southern states, navigate Medicaid mazes, close formulary deals, and accelerate patient access to breakthrough therapies.
💰 $216.6K-$262.5K/year + incentives | 👉 Learn More & Apply
🎨 Creative Marketing Assistant
Goblin Studios | Downtown Orlando
Design wild social content and event promos for Orlando's most imaginative art space, think neon-lit dungeons, fog machines, and pasta-making classes that need your creative magic.
💰 $15-$17/hour | 👉 Learn More & Apply
📣 Senior Manager of Team Member Communications and Engagement
AdventHealth | Orlando
Craft the stories, events, and internal campaigns that make 80,000+ healthcare heroes feel seen, ghost-write for C-suite, plan epic town halls, and keep the culture thriving.
💰 $96.2K-$179K/year | 👉 Learn More & Apply
⚡ Field Tech Apprentice - Electrical Testing
RESA Power | Orlando (75% travel)
Learn to wrangle high-voltage equipment up to 500kV while getting paid, no experience needed. Just bring your curiosity and willingness to troubleshoot transformers in the field.
💰 $22-$28/hour + OT + per diem | 👉 Learn More & Apply
Tap/click here for lots more opportunities. Over 170 added last week!
✈️ Orlando’s best flight deal - Surf, sun, and fish tacos edition
Here's the thing about San Diego: it's almost annoyingly perfect. Mid-April brings 70-degree days on repeat, beaches you can actually enjoy without a wetsuit, and fish tacos that'll ruin you for everywhere else. Balboa Park's got more museums than you can hit in a weekend. The craft beer scene is legendary, and somehow this massive city still feels completely laid-back. But you're also eating “carne asada fries” at midnight in flip-flops, so it balances out.
Orlando (MCO) → San Diego (SAN) for 200 bucks*, round-trip Thursday through Sunday in mid-April. See the deal.
*Price shown above is accurate as of the time this newsletter was sent.
#ORLANDOSIGNAL 📸
Inspiring plaque in the City District
📷 via @orlandosignal |📍City District
Tag @orlandosignal to get your photo featured in the newsletter!
FOODIE FIND, FORK YEAH! 🤩
SLAP! Hand-Ripped Noodles
📍6532 Carrier Dr Ste B, Orlando, FL 32819. Map to this location.
Nobody goes to a forgettable strip plaza off International Drive expecting a revelation, and yet, here we are.
SLAP! Hand-Ripped Noodles (Insta) does one thing spectacularly: Xi'an-style biang biang noodles, slapped against the counter to order, drowned in sizzling chili oil and Shaanxi spice.
Chef-owner Eric Yang trained in Xi'an to nail it, and oh, he nailed it.
Add the short rib. Order the dumplings. Come hungry, come patient. You won't regret either.
👉 Check out this foodie craftmanship, right here 👈
Source: SLAP! Hand-Ripped Noodles
MORE PULP! 😎
Weekday things to check out
📚 Silent Book Club
📅 Monday, March 16th | 6-8pm
📍 Brewlando, 6820 Hoffner Ave
Shop with Poppy the Book Truck and The New Romantics, then enjoy reading your book at the brewery.
👉 Read Together
🍔 Tasty Takeover in The Milk District
📅 Tuesdays | 6:30-10pm
📍 The Milk District – 2424 E Robinson St
Orlando's premier weekly food truck block party featuring diverse culinary offerings behind the shops and bars.
👉 Dine Alfresco
🎨 Opening: "Mass Mixed Media" by AJ Barbel
📅 Wednesday, March 18th | 5-6pm
📍 Orange County Multi-Cultural Center
Opening reception for mixed media exhibition at the Art in the Multicultural Center.
👉 Art Opening
🎭 Comedy Dark
📅 Thursday, March 19th
📍 Grape and the Grain Wine Bar, 1110 Virginia Drive
Orlando's craziest comedy show featuring professional comedians doing their wildest material on Mills 50.
👉 Get Wild
🏛️ Art Sandwiched In: Rockets and Relics
📅 Thursday, March 19th | 12-1pm
📍 Orlando Museum of Art
Free lunchtime program featuring American Space Museum presentation with coffee, tea, and cookies; bring your own lunch.
👉 Lunch & Learn
🎨 3rd Thursday Orlando: Arts. Making. History.
📅 Thursday, March 19th | 6-9pm
📍 CityArts Orlando
Monthly celebration featuring six galleries, new exhibitions, artist talks, live music, and complimentary History Center admission.
👉 Arts District
🎭 Steel Magnolias
📅 Thursday, March 19th | 7:30pm
📍 Athens Theatre, DeLand
Heartfelt comedy-drama about friendship and strength at Truvy's beauty salon where women carry each other through life.
👉 Southern Sisterhood
🎺 Joe Bataan Live: The King of Latin Soul
📅 Thursday, March 19th | Doors 7pm
📍 The Social, 54 N Orange Ave
First-ever Orlando performance featuring El "Muchacho Ordinario" and 12-piece band with opening DJs BK Dusty Fingers and Spreadsheets.
👉 Latin Soul Legend
🏛️ Architecture On Tap +1
📅 Wednesday, March 25th | 6-8pm
📍 A La Carte SoDo
Evening of conversation and collaboration with OFA, ASLA, and YPT; complimentary admission.
👉 Design Talk
🎨 Art EXHIBIT - "Spring has Sprung!"
📅 Friday, March 14th - Wednesday, April 30th | 10am-5pm
📍 Historic Sanford Welcome Center
Spring-themed exhibition featuring framed artwork and three-dimensional pieces; submission deadline March 12th at 12pm.
👉 Spring Celebration
🎭 Want to share an event? Use this link.
THANKS!
✅ Want to connect with 20K+ curious Orlandoans for your business?, start a conversation here.
🌟 Know a community superstar? Tell me about them, right here.
Thanks for reading! I’ll see you again on Thursday’s weekend fun issue.
My Best,
Philip - Publisher, Orlando Signal
