There is a Storm coming..... why are you standing there!

One thing I try to cover with all my Clients before they arrive in Central Florida is the weather they may encounter. July 3rd and 4th brought some typical weather situations for the Wet Summer Season  in Central Florida... Daily Severe Thunderstorms.  The skies darkened and was filled with lightning. Tourist and Locals stood in front of Cinderella's Castle Hub and snapped photos of the castle being struck by lightning.  While it may have gained some their 15 minutes of fame on the internet, it sure wasn't the brightest move. That picture or even staying in that spot to get the "best" view for fireworks sure isn't worth your life.
 
Florida is the Lightning Strike Capitol of the United States. While the number fluctuate every year, the numbers are the usually the highest in Florida for people struck by lighting. On our 2011 trip in August, we were across the street at SeaWorld when 8 people were injured at Discovery Cove by a Lightning strike. These people were "lucky" they weren't killed, but less than a month later at Adventure Island in Tampa, an employee evacuating a slide was killed by a lightning strike. Lightning is not something to mess with, so take cover when lightning is in the area.

Here are some really good tips about what to do during the storms that hit the parks and this applies to all parks.
1) Don't stand out in the open! Get indoors!!!!
2) Don't Rush for the exit.
3) Head into a shop and let the storm pass
4) Go to an indoor ride that has an indoor queue
5)Check out an indoor show
6) Don't wait at an entrance to be first in line for a ride to reopen.
7) Don't get on a boat
8) Don't take shelter under a tree
9) Get out of and away from pools
10) Don't hang out on your balcony

You are not Doc Brown trying to send Marty McFly Back to the Future. You aren't going to save the day with that awesome picture. When you get hit by lighting, your vacations is over, you won't get to see that amazing fireworks display or selfie with Mickey.  Be Smart and stay alive!

Aquatica Revisited: An Honest Review

Over the years, I have had the pleasure of visiting several different water parks, both indoors and out. I have visited the largest outdoor water park, Noah's Ark in Wisconsin Dells, which is an amazing water park. The largest indoor water park, The Kalahari in Sandusky, Ohio; it may have size but that's about it. A few mom and pop water parks that had two slides at the most and are no longer in business, and some major park chain water parks. I have also visited all of  the water parks Disney World has had, River Country  included. It pretty safe to say, I like water parks and enjoy going to them and on my last trip to Orlando, I revisited Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach. I also recently visited the AquaVenture at Atlantis in Nassau.  The visits to those water parks made me really appreciate Aquatica.

Aquatica.... you have arrived

Aquatica is a water park that is part of the SeaWorld Orlando park complex that includes SeaWorld and Discovery Cove. Aquatica opened in 2008 billed as a whimsical, one-of-a-kind waterpark unlike any you've ever experienced, immersing you  in the playfulness of the sea. This park heavily relies on the uniqueness of water park attractions with animal interactions.

The star attraction of this park is  Dolphin plunge, a water slide that send you through the home of  black-and-white Commerson's Dolphins. When I heard about this attraction, I was sold and dead set on getting to this water park. I went into this park with high expectations and was really looking forward to the animal interactions like those of the Dolphin Plunge would have to offer.

Hello little guy, is there someone in that slide?

Look you have a friend also!

As always when heading to a water park, I plan on getting there at gate opening, crowds are generally smaller, lockers and chairs are easier to find, plus you can usually get a decent amount of slide time in before the afternoon showers interrupt the day and gates are closed because the parks are at capacity. My expectation grew as we entered the park with all the lush foliage and theming that is present around the Dolphin Plunge slide and the Commerson's Dolphins.  The kids excitement grew as well; we just had to get on that slide. So we got a locker that just happened to come with a "free" souvenir towel then headed straight for the Dolphins Plunge.

 Our  excitement turned to frustration because as soon as we got to the top of the slide, my daughter, who wears a shirt over her swimsuit to help from getting badly sun burnt, was told she couldn't ride with the shirt on and had to exit the slide and put it in the locker. This after walking past several park employees that monitored the line for the slide and no signage indicating shirts were not allowed. So, instead of walking all the way back to the locker, I had my daughter take the shirt off and I went and waited for her to ride, then gave her her shirt back after her journey through Dolphin Plunge(this was the only slide the unposted rule was enforced on). At the end of her ride, her reaction to the slide was rather lackluster.  So it was my turn to ride and I will have to say, I too was disappointed. The problems with this slide is the tube that goes  through the tank with the dolphins was cloudy and hard to see out of, plus you actually go through that portion of the slide so fast, it is hard to see the dolphins. The dolphins would have to be literally right next to the tube to actually see them.  Needless to say, out of the 4 of us that rode it, none of  us saw the dolphins while on the slide, and none of us liked the slide. The dolphins are best viewed from the underwater viewing area near the entrance of the park. Now the themeing and foliage that are around Dolphin Plunge is very detailed and also has some nice bridge overlooks for those long waits to use the slide.It is a decent experience with a lackluster slide, if you are more interested in just seeing the dolphins, skip the slide and head over to the underwater viewing area. Sporadically throughout the day there were trainers in the underwater viewing area to educate about the Commerson's Dolphins. Now to be fair over down at Atlantis's AquaVenture they had the infamous Leap of Faith Water slide through a tank of sharks. It has the same lackluster type slide that speeds your through the tank so you can't see the Sharks. The other tube slide that went through the tank was slower and more unique experience!

The best view for the Commerson's dolphins
is the underwater observation area off the slide

After spending our time at the Dolphin Plunge we headed over to the newest addition to the park at that time, Omaka Rocka. Since our visit Ihu's Breakways Falls has opened and I eagerly want to experience those new slides!
Omaka Rocka is a tube slide with sections that are half-pipes.  My family loves the half pipe/funnel slides and this one had several sections that fed into smaller versions of  half pipe slides, so it was bound to be a hit. It ended up being pretty boring. The reason this was boring, the half pipe sections of the slides became mini-splash down pools and did not allow the experience that larger half pipe slides offer.(google a youtube video of Michigan Adventure's Funnel of Fear for a good idea of what large half pipe slides are like)  So the first two slides of the day were not home runs.  So we decided to hit Roa's Rapids.

Roa's Rapids is a fast moving river with water falls, rapids and lush foliage all around. Roa's Rapids far exceeded our expectations and was by far the star of the park for my family and myself. We spent hours floating this river. My wife and I had to drag the kids out of it.We loved that it was a free of  inner tubes and you could opt in to wearing a FREE personal flotation devices. While there were no animal interactions on this river, unlike the lazy river Loggerhead Lane, giggles and cheers filled this area of the park. A special note about Loggerhead Lane, while it is the a lazy river, one can easily miss the fish tank on this river because of the split in the river and placement of the tank. Also be forewarned, to access some of the water slides(just a couple), you have to walk through Loggerhead Lane to get to them. This can be very confusing if you don't follow the signs.

The rest of the water park  had standard water park slides, kid's slide& splash complex, and a well themed, but tame wave pool with a sandy beach.  The animal interactions were just ok.  We loved Roa's Rapids, and it was interesting to see Commerson's Dolphins in a water park(just not the water slide affixed to them). Aquatica is a nice small water park and is well worth a visit. If you can, definitely look for a deal where you can get a day at SeaWorld or Discovery Cove that includes admission to Aquatica(currently those deals are available but could change at anytime). Aquatica has it picturesque areas but still has room to improve.Roa's Rapids made up for the shortcomings of Dolphin's Plunge. This is still a young park and a new concept for SeaWorld, I hold hope out that this park can be expanded and improved upon. Aquatica is probably one of the better Water Park in Central Florida. It's hard to live in the shadows of Wet n Wild, Typhoon Lagoon, and Blizzard Beach, but  Aquatica has stepped out from the shadows and become a force in Central Florida.We will come back to the park over the years because over all, it is a really is a nice park.

Aquatica is neatly placed behind Seaworld, as you can see it behind
Journey to Atlantis here.

Top 11 Reasons to use my Services and Some Frequently Asked Questions.

Top 11 Reasons You should use my Services

11)   I do not add cost to your vacations. My planning services are FREE! That's right FREE!

Firehousefamilyvacations.com

10)    I make it easy to get a hold of me! You can always reach me via Email, phone, text message, or Facebook message. Sometimes I even Skype or Google Hang out with people.  I try my hardest to get back with people within 24 hours! My promise to you is, if I say that I will get you something by a certain time, I will get it to you on time, or sooner!

9)   I’m constantly monitoring for discounts that would apply to your Vacation. I put in a great deal of time researching promotions to see if you are really getting a discount or if it is just some marketing ploy to try to get you to book. That's right sometimes that big flashy promo is really no deal or savings. If you already have booked with me and a promotion with savings comes out that you qualify for, I will apply it to your Vacation. Once I get it applied to your Vacation, I will send you an email telling you how much money you’ve saved.(Please remember sometimes if you book a vacation, there can be restrictions that make changes unavailable or the new promotions may have restrictions you may not qualify for the promotion or discount. I will do my best to let you know if that would be the case when you book your vacation.)

8)   I’ll provide you with detailed assistance that you deserve and again that assistance is FREE! That includes everything from booking, monitoring for discounts, determining the best time year for you to travel, parks hours and refurbishments, to helping you determine which theme parks to visit on which days. I can also provide touring plans to maximize your time enjoying attractions, rides and shows, helping minimize your time standing in line.

7)  I have experience traveling with kids, large groups, adults only trips, and alone at various different times of the year. I also have been to theme parks with peak crowd levels that cause closures due to capacity and in the "off season" lighter crowds. Let me put that experience to work for you!


6)    Advanced Dining Reservations(ADRs) at Disney can be confusing and time consuming. We can discuss what you are looking for in meals and make a plan. Then you can sleep in and I will get up early when you hit your 180 day mark and Advanced Dining Reservations become available to make those reservations for you. Once they are complete, I will send you an email with the list of dining experiences that have been booked for you. If at any time you wish to make changes up, until your arrival, I can assist in making any changes that you  prefer along the way based on availability.

5)    If you are considering a Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, or Busch Gardens vacation; there’s so much to do between the resort hotels and the theme parks than anyone could possibly experience all in one vacation. I have a vast first hand experience with all the theme parks in Central Florida and other theme parks across the country and will help you weigh your options and prioritize your choices so that your vacation fits your needs and wants.

4)    I love Disney, Universal Orlando, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, and all of Central Florida.I will always provide a  honest, and direct opinion of particular resorts, attractions, restaurants, and add on experiences. If I think something is a waste of your money or time, I will let you know.

3)    There are always "urban legends" about what Disney, Universal, SeaWorld, Busch Gardens, or the cruise lines offer. I will give you the facts and research any questions you may have to get you the right answer. Not only do I have an expansive knowledge of the the theme parks and resorts, I also have vast network of resources to assist me that many other agencies don't have!

2)   There are many Vacation options that can be confusing or even missed, with that, I understand that vacation budgets can be tight. I also understand that sometimes you might be in the beginning stages of making a vacation budget.  I can work with you to see what you want out of a vacation so that budget can be established and/or try to stay with in your established budget. If it is a spontaneous trip, large group/family reunion, or a trip that is years in the making, I will work with you to help you find what is right for you!

1)   Unlike many agencies, I don't look at you as a client or commission check. I view you and treat you as a friend or family. I enjoy hearing about your vacation, experiences, and want you to enjoy your vacation!

The Current Hogwarts Express...Stay tuned something wickedly new is coming.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: I see many other agencies posting or bragging about the number of Clients they are booking and when they are going on Facebook or their personal websites, Why don't you?
A: I respect the privacy of the people I book vacations for. I believe it is up to the person traveling to post if they are going on vacation and whom they have booked through. I also do this for the safety of those that are on Vacations. Unfortunately there are opportunists out there that do scour Facebook to find vacant homes to break into and posting that someone is on vacation could give them that information. I will only post what my clients give me permission to post and then I will not identify them by full name.



Q: Other agencies have a testimonial page, why don't you.
A: I am in the process of constructing a testimonial page to add to my website and will not post fake testimonials to try to entice people to book with me or use my services. Until I do get this page added to my website, I would be more than willing to contact my previous clients to see if they would give me a recommendation to you.

Q: Other agencies post deals and promotions before you do, why is that?
A: Posting a promotion before it is officially announced can is just asking for trouble. The people that are posting may not have the information correct and/or be completely wrong about the promotion that is coming out. Many Agencies lose their partnerships for jumping the gun on posting before an official announcement.


Q: Why did you get into the business and why do you specialize in what you do?
A: A couple of years back, I booked through a large national company that will stay unnamed  and was given extremely poor service. I walked in and told them what I wanted. They gladly took my money and gave me wrong information. They had no experience with the dining plan and the agent was confused when I asked if they could help with dining reservations. They got on the phone to see if they could do that and their answer was that they think they could, but it would cost extra. The agent was also telling my girls about attractions they could experience at Disney that were actually part of Universal. This left a bad taste in my mouth. So after several discussions with my wife, we  decided it was time to open up shop and to give it some personal character based on my profession of being a firefighter. I specialize in Central Florida and the Theme Parks because they have something for everyone. I love traveling there and some day hope to live there. I knew I could help people plan their vacations and have been successful at doing so.


Q: Why don't you post more cruise deals on your Facebook page or web page?
A: There are so many promotions that run with cruise lines and many times the promotions have very small windows for booking or a lot of restrictions to them.

Q: I emailed you but never heard back from you?
A: Sometimes my Emails end up in spam folders based on your email providers settings. Please make sure you add Matt@Firehousefamilyvacations.com to your safe list so it doesn't end up there. Make sure you check your spam folder at least 24 hours after you contact me to make sure the email has not end up there. If you prefer to be contacted by means other than email, please let me know.

Matt's Firehouse Family Vacations  Epcot 2013