Florida
“Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow” was Walt’s dream of a grand self-sustaining city of the future, but it never materialized. Instead after Walt’s death it was built as a theme park designed primarily for teens and adults, that offers attractions that will both entertain and educate. In December 2003 Blair and I along with our 2 children Justin and Alicia, ages 16 & 14 traveled to Walt Disney World. Epcot was our first stop. There is a lot to do and see at Epcot, try and allow yourself two days to fully explore the park. It is comprised of two total different theme parks in one. Future World offers rides and attractions that showcase or demonstrate man’s progress in science and technology. The first sight you see arriving at Epcot is “Spaceship Earth” the 180 foot tall silver golf ball like landmark, which houses a ride that carries you past scenes depicting the evolution of communications. In the Wonders of Life Pavilion you will find Body Wars, a simulator ride that takes you through the human body and Cranium Command, a theatre-style presentation that takes you into the mind of a 12-year-old boy. Next you come to Mission Space the newest thrill ride in the park. It was incredible you can feel the gravity pull and weightlessness of being in space. Another popular ride is Test Track, you take on the role of a test driver for General Motors checking how your vehicle responds to different road conditions and then to the speed test as you break through a barrier and head outside for a 65 mile per hour ride on hills, curves and hairpin turns, it’s a powerful and exciting ride. In The Land Pavilion you can journey by boat through various ecosystems. The Living Seas Pavilion houses a huge saltwater aquarium full of more than 200 varieties of marine life, including stingrays, dolphins, barracuda, and sharks.
Article Published: July 8th, 2004
World Showcase at Epcot is comprised of 11 pavilions surrounding a large lagoon. Each re-creates some of that countries characteristics and landmarks in incredible detail. The first pavilion to the right is Canada where you can view a 20-minute movie in 360 Circle Vision that offers a visual tour of our Country. Next is the United Kingdom with Anne Hathaway’s cottage, beautiful parks, and English pubs. The France Pavilion has a re-creation of the Eiffel Tower. The main attraction here is the Impressions de France movie that offers a visually look at France. At the Morocco Pavilion shopping is the order of the day, shops sell handcrafted baskets, brass items, and Moroccan clothing. Next it is off to Japan where you will see Japanese music performed. You will also find one of the best restaurants in Epcot here, a Japanese steak house where your food is prepared by talented chefs right at your table. The American Adventure Pavilion has a huge colonial-style mansion as its centrepiece. It offers a 30-minute historical theatre presentation. Italy has a courtyard surrounded by examples of Italian architectural styles. There is a marketplace selling chocolates, Italian pastries and dessert items. The Germany pavilion is a re-creation of a small German village, you will find shops filled with clocks, watches and handicraft items, Participate in the daily wine tasting or stop for a drink at the beer hall. Your next stop will be China, beautiful gardens filled with rose-bushes and reflecting ponds offer a relaxing atmosphere. The Temple of Heaven houses an informative movie about the mysterious country of China. In the Norway Pavilion you will have the opportunity to learn about the history, culture, and Folklore. The main attraction here is Maelstorm, a 10-minute ride in a Viking boat looking at the countries past. Your final stop will be Mexico where you can take a pleasant and relaxing boat ride to from the ancient Maya Culture to the current city life.
Article Published: July 22nd, 2004
Disney MGM Studios is a combination theme park and working movie and television studio. On our recent trip to Disney World in December 2003 this was my teenager’s favourite park. We screamed with delight each of the 7 times we plunged down the 13 stories on The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror.
The adventure begins as you enter the lobby of the Hollywood Tower Hotel. Guest are invited into the library for a preshow then it is off to the boiler room where you will board a service elevator for the ride of your life. The elevator rises 13 stories then free falls down and just when you catch your breath it zooms back up and does it again. The ride is programmed with different drop sequences so you never know what to expect.
Another ride we also enjoyed 7 times was the Rock’n'Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith. You go from 0 to 60 mph in 2.8 seconds and then straight your into first complete loop. The ride features a soundtrack synchronized to reflect the twists and turns of the roller coaster.
For those of you not quite ready for the wide side there is plenty of other attractions to visit. Star Tours is a flight simulator thrill ride to the moon of Endor. If you like game shows you don’t want to miss Who Wants To Be A Millionaire – Play it, the audience can compete to get in the Hot Seat where you can play for prizes. Disney MGM Studios Backlot Tour takes you behind the scenes and lets you in on some secrets of movie making. Muppet fans of all ages will truly love Jim Henson’s Muppet Vision 3-D. Join Kermit, Miss Piggy and all of the classic Muppet character in this hilarious fiasco. The perfect way to wind up your day is to attend Fantasmic. Join Mickey as he performs his role as the Sorcerer’s Apprentice in this night time spectacle that combines lasers, special effects, dancing water, fibre-optic effects, Disney characters and a cast of over fifty performers. It was an incredible show that we all enjoyed.
Article Published: August 5th, 2004
Animal Kingdom, the newest park at Walt Disney World opened in April 1998. The park covers more than 500 acres and has over 200 species of animals. Animal Kingdom is divided into six different areas. The first is Discovery Island where you will find the 145-foot “Tree of Life”, it is the centrepiece for the park and has 325 animals carved into its trunk, roots and branches. It’s Tough to be a Bug is located in the trunk of the Tree of Life, this 3-D movie has incredible lifelike special effects. You will get a bug’s eye view of life as a multi legged creature. Next it is off to Africa and Kilimanjaro Safaris, You’ll ride on a safari truck with a tour guide as you travel through over 100 acres of savannah, rivers, and rocky hills. Expect to see Lions, Antelope, Zebras, Rhinos, Elephants, Giraffes, Crocodiles, Gazelles and Hippos. Then journey to Asia and experience Kali River Rapids, a wild raft trip down a ragging river through rapids and waterfalls — be prepared to get wet. At Rafiki’s Planet Watch Conservation Station you will find a series of walk through educational exhibits on animals and conservation of our planet. Camp Minnie-Mickey has one the best live musical shows I’ve ever seen.”Festival of the Lion King” is a high energy musical with singers, dancers and characters from the popular movie. DinoLand USA is the amusement park area of Animal Kingdom. Here you will find Dinosaur, this thrill ride takes you back 65 million years to save the Iguanodon from extinction. Primeval Whirl is a roller coaster style ride with spinning cars, sharp turns, and drops. End your day with Mickey’s Jamming Jungle Parade, a 15-minute extravaganza featuring Mickey, Minnie, Rafiki, and a cast of over sixty dancers and performers.
Article Published: August 19th, 2004
Magic Kingdom opened in October 1971, it is the most popular park at Walt Disney World, it covers 107 acres. Magic Kingdom consists of seven lands. Main Street USA is where the Disney magic begins to come to life. In Tomorrowland visit Space Mountain where you can experience a roller coaster ride through the darkness of a galaxy. Fantasyland is home to Cinderella’s Castle, It’s a Small World and Dumbo the Flying Elephant. A wonderful new addition to Fantasyland in 2003 was Mickey’s PhilharMagic, a 3-D film complete with in-theatre effects and plenty of Disney music. .As you journey in to Mickey’s Toon Town it is like walking into a topsy-turvy cartoon world. Be sure to stop by Mickey’s house for a visit. Frontierland depicts the pioneers of America, take a trip on a run away train or join Brer Bear for on the wettest ride in the park, Splash Mountain. In Liberty Square visit the ghosts at the Haunted Mansion or enjoy a paddle wheeler cruise on the Liberty Belle Riverboat. At Adventureland climb aboard a river boat and venture out on a Jungle Cruise or take an excursion through a bayou with the Pirates of the Caribbean. The perfect way to end your day at the Magic Kingdom is by watching the fireworks show that takes place over Cinderella’s Castle. “Fantasy in the Sky” is a spectacular light show complete with Disney tunes. Be on the look out for Jiminy Cricket as he flies overhead to the Castle.
Article Published: September 5th, 2004
Disney World offers three water parks each with their own theme. So grab your swim suit, sun block, and beach towel and head for the water. Blizzard Beach opened in 1995 and has a winter ski slope theme. As the story goes during a freak snow storm in Florida a 66-acre ski area was created. When the sun returned the snow on the mountains started to melt they were left with a water park. Here you will find the tallest and fastest water slide in the US. Summit Plummet is 120 feet tall with a 60-degree drop reaching speeds of 55 mph. Grab a tube and drift down Cross Country Creek but watch out for falling drops of ice-cold water while floating through the ice cave. Or try Toboggan Racers, this is an eight-lane race to the bottom of the mountain. There are a total of 12 different rides and slides at Blizzard Beach. Next head to Typhoon Lagoon, imagine a small resort village that was just hit by a typhoon. Head to Shark Reef, where you can snorkel with real sharks and schools of colourful tropical fish. Or try bodysurfing on a 6 foot wave in a lagoon bigger than two football fields. In fact it’s the largest inland surfing lagoon in Florida. Maybe you will prefer to lie back and relax on a 45-minute tube ride through a rain forest with caves and waterfalls. River Country Water Park was first opened in 1973 it was inspired by Tom Sawyer’s swimming hole, it is the smallest of the three parks and is now closed due to the popularity of the other two parks. After a day at the water park you can enjoy a round or two of mini golf at one of the two courses. Fantasia Gardens is a 18-hole mini golf course featuring whimsical statues of characters found in the classic movie Fantasia or Disney’s Winter Summerland. Where you can choose to play on the icy white “greens” of the 9-hole winter course complete with holiday music or the 9-hole summer course with sand castles, pools and Beach Boy music.
Article Published: September 16th, 2004
Bon Voyage – You are about to embark on a marvelous voyage aboard one of the most beautiful and celebrated cruise line in the world. Disney Cruise Line will surprise and delight you with it stunning architecture, legendary service, and fun-for-the-whole-family activities. Depart from Port Canaveral on Disney Wonder featuring 3 or 4 night cruise vacations visiting Nassau and Disney’s own private island Castaway Cay. After spending a relaxing day at sea you will arrive in Nassau, Bahamas where there are many shore excursions aimed towards family fun, great shopping, and casino’s for the adults that miss the gaming presence on board the ship (there are no casino’s on Disney Ships). The second port of call is Castaway Cay Disney’s private island – one of the highlights of a Disney Cruise Line Vacation. Here you will find a 1000 acre private tropical island paradise where guest can enjoy the Bahamas best attributes, such as a half-mile long beach area and a wide range of water sports and activities for the whole family includingsnorkeling, sailboats, kayaks, and live entertainment. There is also an adults-only beach where adults can go to enjoy some quite time.
Article Published: August 12th, 2005
Disney Wonder sets sail from Port Canaveral on 7-day cruise’s offering a choice of itineraries available on alternating weeks. The Western Caribbean itinerary calls at Key West, Grand Cayman, Cozumel, and Castaway Cay. The first port of call Key West is one of the easiest ports to navigate, thanks to its small size and pedestrian-friendly streets. Try the Old Town Trolley, hop on – hop off at any of the nine stops around town. The must see stop at Grand Cayman is Stingray City where you can swim with the friendly stingrays. Cozumel is a destination of contast. For some it’s a wonderful shopping port or a place to travel to the mayan ruins and for others it’s the gateway to some of the worlds greatest reef diving. The final stop is Disney’s private island – Castaway Cay. On the Eastern Caribbean itinerary you will visit St Martin, St Thomas and Castaway Cay. On St Martin you will find 37 beaches offering everything from roaring surf to gentle waves. St Thomas is one of the busiest cruise ports and duty-free shopping havens in the Caribbean. It also boasts beautiful beaches and many fabulous shore excursions.
Article Published: September 1st, 2005
Disney Cruise Line features two state-of-the-art ships – The Disney Magic and The Disney Wonder are almost identical vessels. As you board the ship you are greeted by friendly crew members in the three story atrium with the sweeping staircase and a bronze Disney statue. The cornerstone of onboard entertainment is the 975-seat Walt Disney Theatre. Here Disney showcases Broadway-style shows, some of them new and some based on Disney classics. These are must-see productions especially Disney Dreams which is shown on the final evening. Studio Sea is a family lounge that provides dance music, family oriented cabaret acts and game shows starting the audience. Disney offers some of the best children’ programs at sea. From the 13 -17 teens-only club to the 8 -12 Disney’s Oceaneer’s Lab to the 3 – 7 Oceaneer’s Club to the Flounder’s Reef Nursery for children under 3 there is something for every age. The restaurants aboard Disney Cruise Line are truly unforgettable – Animator’s Palate restaurant transforms itself from stunning black and white to full color as your meal progresses. Each course brings a new addition of color. Whatever you’re wishing for you’ll find it aboard a Disney Cruise Ship.
Article Published: September 15th, 2005
On November 11th Anita Dyck owner of Kaleidoscope Travel & Cruiseescorted a group to Fort Lauderdale and then aboard the MS Volendam for a 10-day Caribbean Cruise. After an enjoyable flight we settled into our hotelin Fort Lauderdale. The next morning we were met by our guides from the Everglades Day Safari Company. Our first stop was a truly amazing airboat ride through the sawgrass prairie into the Miccosukee Indian reservation. Here we had our first close up look at the alligators. It was a remarkable ride. Next we drove to the town of Everglades for a southern lunch complete with deep fried alligator nuggets. Along the way we saw gators large and small everywhere in the ditches. We stopped at a photo gallery and there on the grass near the parking lot was a alligator sunning himself. After lunch we enjoyed a relaxing 90 minute boat ride from Everglades National Park as it worked its way through the 10,000 Islands to the Gulf of Mexico. On this fully narrated ride we were able to see dolphin, manatees and many shore birds. What a great day. At 8:00pm the group met in the hotel lobby for a Bon Voyage Party hosted by Kaleidoscope Travel & Cruise.
Article Published: December 7th, 2006
“Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow” was Walt’s dream of a grand self-sustaining city of the future, but it never materialized. Instead after Walt’s death it was built as a theme park designed primarily for teens and adults, that offers attractions that will both entertain and educate. In December 2003 Blair and I along with our 2 children Justin and Alicia, ages 16 & 14 traveled to Walt Disney World. Epcot was our first stop. There is a lot to do and see at Epcot, try and allow yourself two days to fully explore the park. It is comprised of two total different theme parks in one. Future World offers rides and attractions that showcase or demonstrate man’s progress in science and technology. The first sight you see arriving at Epcot is “Spaceship Earth” the 180 foot tall silver golf ball like landmark, which houses a ride that carries you past scenes depicting the evolution of communications. In the Wonders of Life Pavilion you will find Body Wars, a simulator ride that takes you through the human body and Cranium Command, a theatre-style presentation that takes you into the mind of a 12-year-old boy. Next you come to Mission Space the newest thrill ride in the park. It was incredible you can feel the gravity pull and weightlessness of being in space. Another popular ride is Test Track, you take on the role of a test driver for General Motors checking how your vehicle responds to different road conditions and then to the speed test as you break through a barrier and head outside for a 65 mile per hour ride on hills, curves and hairpin turns, it’s a powerful and exciting ride. In The Land Pavilion you can journey by boat through various ecosystems. The Living Seas Pavilion houses a huge saltwater aquarium full of more than 200 varieties of marine life, including stingrays, dolphins, barracuda, and sharks.
