You can get there from here, but how? Part 2

    Today's post is prompted by the sudden surge in gas prices. In You can get here, but how? Part 1, I gave my insights and shared some of my misadventures of flying into the Central Florida area. Flying is my preference because it is quicker to get there and generally easier. I didn't start flying to Florida though, until I was out of high school.

I am an Eagle Scout and proud even if  I don't have the bumper sticker.
This was my Scout Troops bus

    My first visits to Florida came via the open road and was within my parent’s vehicle pulling a pop up camper. I was too young to remember that trip, but have been told it  happened not  long after Disney World opened and it was cold, causing the trip to be cut short because everyone got sick. Since then the chariots that ushered me to Florida were a Boy Scout Bus and conversion vans.

   After discovering the joys and general ease of flying, I tried the option of  driving to Florida only once since then and probably won’t do it again unless I get a plush RV to make the trip in. Traveling by car, bus, or van tends to a much more affordable mode of transportation for large families or groups, even with high gas prices. The Problem is, depending on where you live, it could be pretty time consuming and burn valuable vacation time. I can’t recall a trip that we took by automobile that didn’t come with some delay or hassle.

1,217 miles  In perfect world 21 hours....in a perfect world.

   The trip from my hometown of Portage, Michigan to Patrick’s Air Force base near Cocoa beach Florida(generally our first destination on the road to Disney World) was supposed to take roughly 21 hours. The route looks easy enough on paper and of the several times we traveled the route, closest we got to our destination was about 36 hours. Fortunately those planning the trip, built in wiggle room so we wouldn't lose days at Disney and would be able to make our pilgrimage to Ron Jon's Surf Shop.(If you have never been to Ron Jon's Surf Shop in Cocoa Beach you haven't lived!!) Unfortunately, the trip down would leave everyone grouchy and exhausted.  We would always run across several delays ranging from a private plane making an emergency landing on the highway, mechanical problems with the bus leaving us stranded at  garage in Atlanta with 40 some scouts for over 10 hours, or when you stop to food or potty break, rounding up 40 some scouts that have been cooped on a bus could be a chore, especially when the food joints freak out when the bus rolls up.

One of the Runaway Truck Ramps on Mount Eagle

   There was always a few things to look forward to on the bus ride. One happened to be to try to be awake when the bus took on Mount Eagle. We would watch in anticipation to see if any trucks burned their brakes up and ended up out of control or on the runaway truck ramps. Never had the luck of seeing it happen, but you could always smell the burning brakes.

  Another highlight of the trip down was when we crossed a state line.The driver would blow the airhorn and say "Welcome to fill in the state name!" over the P.A. The closer to Florida we got, the more anxious people would get and want to be off the bus. It may not seem like much to get excited about,  but then again we were young and it made us happy. That is after the other form of enjoyment  that got taken away. That  being  me putting a Honk if you're ____ sign in the bus window. Once the scout leaders finally figuring out why people were honking when they went by, I got several lectures from several of the scout leaders and even a few snickers from them while they were chewing out. Of course, I got  a major lecture and threat to be sent home by the Troop Leader ,who happened to be my dad. That wasn't embarrassing for him at all.

This was the last time we drove to Florida circa 1997 The munchkin and I look much different now.

   Like I said in the first post, I hate being cooped up and  I am a sucker for roadside attractions, so when the bus stopped, I tried to be the first one off and the last one back on. Doing so, I would collect just about any brochure at a rest stop to try and keep my mind occupied. I just loved state welcoming centers, especially Florida's, that one even gave you free orange juice! Those brochures I gathered, would be littering the bus by the time we got to Disney World leading to me "volunteer" to clean the bus while everyone else was setting up camp and beginning their assault on the theme parks and arcades.( Yes, some people I traveled with would spend more times in the arcades than the theme parks, especially when The Contemporary Resort had the massive arcade on the bottom floor.)

  Once the bus was cleaned and camp was set up in Creekside Meadow at Fort Wilderness, we were turned loose for a week of fun at Disney World and the bus would sit dormant awaiting our trip back north, unless of course we had a side trip planned to Universal.  The scout bus truly favored the trip back north. Unlike the trip south, there was never mechanical problems or delays on the way home. It was as if the bus was mocking us because the vacation was over.

  Occasionally, there would be a chase van that followed us down with family members or for scouts that had no seats on the bus. That was the coveted ride because you could stretch out in the van more than you could in the bus.  The van though, was just as problematic as the bus. So much so, that within mere miles of making it to Cocoa Beach one trip, a call came over the CB radio that, " The van has blown up were pulling over NOW!" Silence hovered in the bus with everyone thinking the worse had happened, especially since the was no return calls on the radio when the leaders on the bus were trying to locate were the van was to know the extent of the problem. It turned out to just be a radiator that blew, but still ended up being hours in a garage, delaying our fun.

I told you to stop and ask for directions.

   Driving to Florida is not for me, but it is for a lot people. It can be the most affordable transportation for large groups or families. If you do plan on driving, plan for mishaps, traffic delays, and tired cranky people.  Make sure you stay alert and take shifts driving, navigating, and PLEASE DON'T TEXT AND DRIVE. It would be a bad thing if you were headed through Atlanta in the middle of the night with everyone fast asleep except the driver, then hear several hours later, "Welcome to Alabama", but that is a whole different story.

Because We Care-CureSearch Walk For Children's Cancer

The crowd gathered to walk and celebrate the survivors in 2011

My wife and I have been fortunate to never hear the words “your child has cancer” spoken to us about our children. Those words are devastating to a parent, family, and the community that surround a child. In the 12 years that I have been an On-Call Firefighter/EMT, I have encountered children that have had cancer and it is heartbreaking. I wished there was always more that I could do. When I founded Matt’s Family Firehouse Family Vacations LLC, my mission was not only to help people plan their vacations but also to give back to my community and support great causes. The CureSearch Walk for Children’s Cancer provides the perfect opportunity for that. I believe in the CureSearch organization because the money  goes to fund cancer research and help ward off shortages of the much needed medications children require to help defeat this disease; not going to rewards, prizes, or lavish advertising campaigns. This organization is truly about finding a cure for childhood cancers and raising the survival rate for children.

 In a day in age where large corporations are lowering the amounts of funding they allot for childhood cancer research, I have made the pledge that for every Disney Vacation Package (Disneyland, Disney World, Disney Cruise, Aulani, or Adventures by Disney), Universal Orlando Resort Package, or major cruise line Matt's Firehouse Family Vacation books between March 19th,2012 until the walk on May 19th, 2012, I will donate $10 in the name of that family(or anonymously if they prefer).

The sky was  filled with balloons and  hope in 2011

 Every day, 46 children are diagnosed with children's cancer – 7 of these children will not survive. Cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in children. Although the cure rate is now 78% – up by 40% in the last 20 years – it is not good enough. Our goal is a 100% cure rate. Children deserve the chance to grow up!


 Please make a donation or join our team for this spirit lifting event. Every dollar and every participant helps pave the way towards a cure.

Click here to make a donation or Join our team for this great event!

Thank you,
Matt
Matt’s Firehouse Family Vacations LLC

It's Gone? The Animal Kingdom

Back in March of 1998, we were fortunate enough to be invited to take part in the soft opening for Disney's Animal Kingdom. The park has changed quite a bit since then and here is a photo journey of  how some of  the park has changed.

Remember this picture?

This Iguanadon was part of the  Discovery river boat ride. He now sits in front of Dinosaur the ride.

The Animatronic Iguanadon was one of the highlights of the Discovery River boat ride that no longer exist. The Iguanadon currently has taken up residence in front of Dinosaur replacing the original Styracosaurus that was there for park opening.  The landings for the boats still are present. The one near Dinoland USA is currently the meet-n-greet for Pooh and friends.  The boat ride originally circled the Tree of life giving and unique views to guest and couple of  surprises along the way.

This is where the Iguanadon currently resides. The name of the ride was changed to help market the movie Dinosaur.

  While still visible  near Camp Minne-Mickey, the boat ride took you much closer to this rock formation.

Dragon Rock

After encountering the dragon rock formation you slipped passed a cave where a fire breathing dragon was living.

This is still there, probably over gown with the rest of Discovery River. We got a little toasty during the soft opening because of  an inexperienced skipper still learning how to maneuver the lengthy boats.

 Guest also got the below view of  Harambe and the Tusker house, there were even a few geysers in this area to try and spice up the boat ride.   Where Everest now sits, we were told once Asia was opened (yes Asia was not open for the preview) water buffalo were to have a habitat and be able to enter Discovery river. That habitat never came to be. The boat ride was actually slow and was very boring. It was  a good idea to make it disappear. There are some great Youtube videos of the boat ride where you can see how awkward the ride really was.

Jambo 

During the soft opening, only Africa, Camp Minne-Mickey, DinoLand USA(minus Primeval Whirl), the oasis, conservation station, Discovery River Boats, and The Rainforest cafe were open. It's tough to be a bug and Asia were not yet complete. We returned after the grand opening and were able to catch the new show Pocahontas and her forest friends. It was an animal show that also had Grandmother Willow. Eventually this show got retired and is now stroller parking for The Festival of the Lion King. 

Please park your strollers here......Grandma who?

The Festival of the Lion King has changed but not in performance; the theater was originally open air. This made sitting through the show not so fun in the humid Florida air. It was eventually was enclosed and "air conditioned" as it is now. 

Are those trees and daylight I see?

While the Animal Kingdom is still relativity young, the changes that have occurred have made for a much better experience for guest.  Do you remember the original story line for the safari? What is your favorite attraction past or present in the Animal Kingdom?

You can get there from here but how? Part 1

By now if you live on the East Coast or in the Midwest you probably have heard about the debacle that is going on right now with Direct Air, a discount airline that flys into Orlando/Sanford airport. If you haven't,  here is the quick summary. Direct Air stopped all operation without notice stranding passengers and making them scurry to find a way home or to their vacation destination. This is a horrible situation for any traveler,  experienced or not. This situation has lead me to recall my experiences when it comes to traveling to Orlando or anywhere in that matter.

When it comes to going to Orlando, I prefer to fly. I like to get there are quick as possible and as cheap as possible. I could drive, but after about 5 hours, I am done with being  in the car for the day. I get cranky and antsy. The other problem I have with driving is that I am sucker for roadside attractions.It could get rather expensive very quickly if I want to stop at every alpine slide in the mountains, drive thru safari, Firework shop, etc. that we come across. Trust me I will find a way to stop and won't walk out empty handed. So flying for me and my family it is.

I just need to see the Skunk-Ape and maybe get a can koozie also!

Where we live, we are fortunate to have wide variety of airports to fly from. Three major airports  about 2.5 hours away(Detroit, Chicago Midway, and O'Hare) and four regional airports( South Bend, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids, and Lansing) This provides for a variety of airlines and airfares, both discounters and major airlines. With this come a variety of routes that are either non-stop(the coveted of all flights) or many different hops in different types of planes. The non-stops tend to be the most expensive. This where the discounters come in. The big catch with discounters that fly into Central Florida is that they usually don't fly into Orlando International, but into Lakeland or Orlando/Sanford. Both of these Airports are about 45 minutes or hour commute to the Orlando and attractions area. This is really not a bad option for someone that had planned to rent a car or wasn't planning on using Disney's Magic express. Although with Discounters, you may end up in a situation like Direct Air stuck its customers with or you may have gotten a great flight at a great price. Just remember these discounters are really no frills, some of the planes seats don't even recline, and you may have to book almost a year in advance. In the past I have flown on the Discounter Spirit Airlines, after an awkward delay we had a pleasant flight to and from Orlando.(While being delayed at the gate before boarding the plane, an announcement was made that there was a mechanical problem with the plane and they were locating another aircraft. We watched the plane back away from the gate, stop, then return to the gate followed by an announcement that we could now board and that this was new plane.)

Discounters aren't the only airlines to have problems. I have had some great flights on major airlines and some nerve racking ones as well. The worst airline experience and flight resulted  from a flight cancellation that stuck the family at Chicago Midway for 7 hours in the baggage claim area. It would have been fine if we weren't subjected to the song Sweet Home Chicago over and over and over and over again. The night before the flight, severe weather ground stopped all flights and the airline claimed they called everyone that was affected. Needless to say, we didn't get the phone call. So we put the family truckster in the long term parking, took the shuttle to the terminal, and headed to check our baggage for our 6am flight.  That's when we get the are you stupid look from the clerk at the baggage counter and informed our flight has been canceled. The next available flight was going to be 3pm that afternoon and wasn't going to be non-stop. After trying to get on various different airlines with no avail, we finally boarded and were finally on our way, arriving at DisneyWorld sometime after midnight much later than our anticipated 9am arrival. That is not the only adventurous or delayed  flight we have had, just the most frustrating. The most adventurous and white knuckled flight we have had into Orlando occurred when our flight pattern took us directly over the swamp fires burning around Orlando International.  Fires of that nature tend to make up their own weather and turbulence. On final approach we had a drastic sudden drop in altitude, I mean worse than the Tower of terror drop, sending everyone into a panic and had people screaming, that is all but one little girl, my angel of a daughter, who was giggling and asking if we could do that again.

Please don't sing Sweet Home Chicago anymore!!!!!

Even with these mishaps and delays, I will take the 2 hour non stop flight into Orlando International or outlaying airports over the 24 hour non stop drive we would have. I had several of those trips and those were adventures in themselves. Stay tuned for part 2.

It's gone?

As most of us do on any vacation, we take a lot of pictures and videos. Some with lasting memories, some just don't turn out, some get photo bombed, and some catch images of things never seen again. Over the years, you like myself, have probably caught attractions and rides that no longer exist on some form of media. Fortunately, many places have begun to announce the retirements of rides and attractions well before it happens, even auctioning off the last rides for a charity. This spurs people to make special trips to photograph rides and attractions that are known to be headed towards retirement; leaving some evidence that they existed. Then again, a ride could go down for a refurb and just never reopen. Notable attraction retirements that are getting much fanfare lately are those as Jaws from Universal Studios, Snow White's Scary Journey at Disney World's Magic Kingdom, and a story line change for the Animal Kingdom's Kilimanjaro Safari. Jaws was documented in many different ways by numerous different enthusiasts. This is sure to happen with Snow White and Little Red from the Safari over at Disney World as well.

Occasionally I will share some of the captured images of things that have disappeared or changed over the years of a lost attraction or ride for your viewing enjoyment from my personal photo collection. Starting with this rare Gem below.

This guy is still at Disney World where is he now and where was he before?

So your going to Disney World or Universal Orlando, Now what?

So you have decided that for your vacation you are going to Disney World,  Universal Orlando, or another theme park and wonder what you should do to get ready. Should you study travel guides and books? Pull out park maps and plan your routes to the rides and attractions? Figure out what restaurants you want to eat at and when? Yes, those are good ideas and travel agents can work with you on all of the above to help with the fine details of your trip, but I have a few tips that can make your trip more enjoyable.

Tip #1) Get out and walk.

Yea! We are almost to the gates!! Only a half mile to go!
This may be your favorite ride at the end of the day

My number one suggestion to anyone going to any Central Florida theme park is to get out and walk before you leave for your trip. Why walk? Well to be honest, there are no short cuts to the front gates of the parks and once you’re in the gates, you’re going to be walking more than you might first imagine.  Let’s look at a few treks that you will have ahead of you just to get the front gate at some of the theme parks. 

To get to either  Universal Studios or to Universal Islands of Adventure, unless you’re staying at one of the on-site hotels, your journey to the front gates starts at either the valet drop off or parking ramps.  To get from the parking ramps to either park you have to walk over Major Blvd and then head into the central hub of the parking ramps, this leads to the electric walk ways that take you to CityWalk. 

                                        

Still some distance  to go! This is just the entrance to CityWalk

Almost there right? Nope! Now you have to walk through CityWalk and either take a right or left hand  turn, depending which park your going to.CityWalk is an enjoyable walk past the flashy shops and well themed restaurants, like Margaritaville, Bubba Gumps, and the Brand Spanking  Hollywood Drive-In Golf.  Now you head over the water channel that has the water taxis from the on-site hotels,then finally you have made it to the front gates!!! It’s approximately a half mile walk to the front gates; it is just slightly shorter from the valet parking area, where you can catch a cab or where the complementary transportation from local off-site hotels drop you off at.  Now that you made it, you have an entire day of walking around the parks and waiting in lines with the big anticipation of making that same trek back to your mode of transportation. Staying at the on-site hotels helps you avoid these walks along with offering other perks. 

We made it!!!!

 "Ah, this doesn’t apply to me because I am going to Disney World." WRONG!!!!!  While Disney offers complementary transportation to the front gate of each theme park, the idea of  to the front gate can be misleading.  Your distance to the front gate is going to vary on your resort and the park you are headed to.  A couple of notable distances are from the monorail station at EPCOT to the front gates,  from the bus stops to the front gates at the Magic Kingdom, and the bus stops to the front gates at the Animal Kingdom. Just getting to the bus stop at the resort your staying at can be bit a distance as well. By no means are they like the distance you have at Universal Orlando, but once again, you have an entire day of walking ahead of you.  EPCOT for example, especially around the world showcase, can be exhausting in the warm Floridian sun.The distances can be deceiving, especially with some of the force perspectives that Imagineers have tailored into the architecture.

 So to get back to my suggestion of getting out and walking before your trip, grab the family or whomever you’re going with and start walking at home.  Start out with small distances and then gradually build up to longer distances.  This a great time to break in a new pair of shoes, especially if you’re taking them with you. It really is not a good idea to break in a pair of shoes at the parks.

 Tip#2 I am not walking I have a electric scooter or wheel chair or need one.

watch your toes because I am not.

"I am not walking I am bringing my electric scooter or renting one."  Great, but are the people you’re going with used to walking with you with that electric scooter? Never hurts for you to take a ride with those that you are walking with so they know how fast that little bugger is gonna go. This will also give you and them a chance to make sure they know where to walk so you don’t run them over. Trust me it happens. Need a electric scooter while down at the parks? You can rent them at the parks, but they are in limited supply, so you might want to look at some of the companies that rent them by the week. All of the transportation at  Disney World has some type of accommodation for scooters, so you can take the scooters you rent from an outside company back to your resort to help you get around.  It’s always best to plan ahead instead of the day you arrive; most outside companies will have the electric scooter delivered to your room so you don’t need to head out and pick them up. It can easily ruin your day if you get to the a park expecting to rent an electric scooter to find out that they have all be rented for the day, plus having your own rental from an outside company makes it more convenient to park hop. Need a suggestion on whom to rent from? Let me know I will be more than happy to make a suggestion.

Tip#3  Don't pay the high prices for water or sun block on site at the resorts.

Sun Block and water are very, very, very, very, very, good things to have when you are in the Central Florida sun. With that said, if you pack sun block in your carry on or suitcase,  it maybe coming out of your bag and not traveling with you depending the TSA agent that inspects your baggage if your flying. You may simply run out or worse yet, it bursts open ruining things in your luggage. If you plan ahead you won't have to pay the high prices at the resorts or theme parks for sun bock or other products. There are personal shoppers that will deliver it to your room for a small charge. While your at it, buy a case of water, body wash,  maybe some cereal or granola bars to get you going in the morning. Personal shoppers will either drop the items off at the front desk for you or have them delivered to your room. By the end of the spring of 2012, all Disney owned Resort rooms will have a small fridge for use. Put that fridge to good use with some snacks and beverages that a personal shopper can pick up for you and save you money on.You can always bring the water into the parks with you, so if your on a dining plan, you don't have to waste a snack credit on a drink.  Need a suggestion on a Personal Shopper with reasonable rates just ask me. 

What would you suggest someone do to prepare for their trip?

Welcome to Matt's Firehouse Family Vacations Blog

Central Florida has been the premiere tourist destination for family vacations since the opening of Walt Disney World in 1971. While families have been traveling here for years, the area is constantly changing and has or will be introducing something for past  and new vacationers in the next few years. With several projects in the works and new attractions and expansions opening, keeping up with the constant changes of classics and new locations can be confusing and sometimes overwhelming. This can make vacation planning  time consuming and a stressful task. That is where I come in with Matt's Firehouse Family Vacations, I keep up with all that is happening in the Orlando area as well as other destinations across the United States.

I have always had a passion for Disney World and that passion was strengthened when I began bringing my daughter to the theme parks. Over the years that I have traveled to Disney World, I have had great experiences and learned how to make the most of each of my family trips to the resorts. Gradually with each visit, my family and I have expanded our Disney Vacations from the Disney resort to  across Central Florida to include many of the other theme parks and attractions including Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, The Kennedy Space Center, water parks, dining experiences, and many attractions along International Drive. This blog will give me an opportunity to showcase not only my experiences and tips for Disney World, Universal Orlando, Central Florida theme parks and attractions, and other destinations; but to serve as a place for you to share your tips and experiences from your travel as well.

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If you have any comments, suggestions, or post you would like to see please feel free to let me know.