While plenty of folks were spending their money on Black Friday sales, others were spending time at local attractions, including a family from Georgia.Natalie Haslem Lattimore said her large group was joining a family reunion on Thanksgiving and wanted to have some free time in the cool, dry weather Friday at Fun Spot America, just off International Drive in Orlando.“We have a lot of family here and we enjoy the activities that are here in the area,” Lattimore said. Park spokesperson John Chidester said Fun Spot is hoping to keep drawing crowds with a new airplane attraction that should be built by Christmas.“We have rides from mild to wild at all three of our Fun Spot locations, Orlando or Kissimmee or Georgia. And they say, build something new as often as you can. It’s like build it, and they will come,” Chidester said. New attractions on a bigger scale have already delivered a solid year.“When you look at Epic Universe, you can really see the needle move,” said Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond. He credits Universal’s blockbuster new park with driving a “strong, hot summer” of business.The Tourist Development Tax collections on hotel rooms have set records this year. In September, there were $26 million in revenues. The fiscal year that just ended had $385 million in receipts, and a healthy pot of tax reserves now standing at $471 million. Diamond said four straight record months began right after Epic Universe opened its gates.“When people are coming to Orlando and going to Epic and going anywhere really, it brings in a lot of money, and it also shows just how strong the tourism economy is,” Diamond said. To keep that money coming in, Visit Florida launched a new television and digital ad campaign in September — Floridays — hoping the state’s signature outdoor beauty and recreational attractions will draw crowds in the coming months and year. Visit Florida surveyed people in the top origin markets that feed vacationers to Florida, places like New York, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, and 53% said they were planning Florida vacations in the next 24 months.

ORLANDO, Fla. —

While plenty of folks were spending their money on Black Friday sales, others were spending time at local attractions, including a family from Georgia.

Natalie Haslem Lattimore said her large group was joining a family reunion on Thanksgiving and wanted to have some free time in the cool, dry weather Friday at Fun Spot America, just off International Drive in Orlando.

“We have a lot of family here and we enjoy the activities that are here in the area,” Lattimore said.

Park spokesperson John Chidester said Fun Spot is hoping to keep drawing crowds with a new airplane attraction that should be built by Christmas.

“We have rides from mild to wild at all three of our Fun Spot locations, Orlando or Kissimmee or Georgia. And they say, build something new as often as you can. It’s like build it, and they will come,” Chidester said.

New attractions on a bigger scale have already delivered a solid year.

“When you look at Epic Universe, you can really see the needle move,” said Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond.

He credits Universal’s blockbuster new park with driving a “strong, hot summer” of business.

The Tourist Development Tax collections on hotel rooms have set records this year. In September, there were $26 million in revenues. The fiscal year that just ended had $385 million in receipts, and a healthy pot of tax reserves now standing at $471 million.

Diamond said four straight record months began right after Epic Universe opened its gates.

“When people are coming to Orlando and going to Epic and going anywhere really, it brings in a lot of money, and it also shows just how strong the tourism economy is,” Diamond said.

To keep that money coming in, Visit Florida launched a new television and digital ad campaign in September — Floridays — hoping the state’s signature outdoor beauty and recreational attractions will draw crowds in the coming months and year.

Visit Florida surveyed people in the top origin markets that feed vacationers to Florida, places like New York, Washington, D.C., and Atlanta, and 53% said they were planning Florida vacations in the next 24 months.