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.

Adam TheWoo

Want a unique look at DisneyWorld or Universal Orlando? Have you ever wondered what happened to old attractions like River Country or maybe the Nickelodeon Studios? Were you able to capture your 24 hour marathon at the Magic Kingdom on February 29th,2012? Maybe you wish you could find locations that some classic movies were filmed? One such man is doing that this very moment and you can share in his  adventures. Adam TheWoo is the adventurer that does things most of us only dream of and Youtube is his current venue!

Wonder what Adam TheWoo is filming today...another amazing video

First let me warn you his videos are awesome, but what Adam does is not necessarily authorized and you probably should not try them on your own. It is also important to note that from his own bio on his webpage  he makes it very clear "I will NEVER break into a place, steal anything, spray paint walls or destroy anything. I am completely opposed to all these things!"

Adam has amassed over 11,000 Youtube followers and that number is climbing everyday! The adventures he embarks on gives some really cool perspectives on some great locations and abandoned places.

Adam TheWoo on Location at Universal Studios
taking time chat and pose for a picture with Me

I was fortunate enough to happen upon Adam's Youtube channel about a year and half ago and even more fortunate to run into him in September when he was preparing to make a new video at Universal Studios. Occasionally in his videos you can see him wearing one of our Matt's Firehouse Family Vacations t-shirts.:) It was great to meet him in person and see how he films his adventures. The day I was able to meet him, he was able to capture an experience with his camera that many people's pictures(including mine) can't do justice. You can check out that experience by clicking here, then check out some of these great videos. 

EPCOT 30th adventure

River Country

24 Hours at the Magic Kingdom

Nickelodeon Studios

Jurassic Park Triceratops Attraction

These are just a sampling of the videos that  Adam does and there are more to come. Adam is currently on road filming more amazing videos and could use your support. Follow him on twitter, and like him on Facebook to see where he is going next.

Port Orleans Riverside

The Colonel's Cotton Mill building

Over the years that I have traveled to Disney World, I have stayed in several resorts ranging from the value resorts to the Deluxe Magic Kingdom Resorts as well as Fort Wilderness. While Fort Wilderness for many years became the default location for our family to stay, in the mid 1990's a new resort became our go to resort and home while at Disney World. We established our home resort under its old name and still cherish it under its current name. The hotel I am referring to is that of Disney's Port Orleans Riverside. From our first visit there, when it was relatively brand new operating under the name Dixie Landings, to our last trip, where I got to introduce my wife and step-daughter to not only Disney World, but to our home with in Disney World, Port Orleans- Riverside in the Alligator Bayou.

Nice towel art greeting on check in

                  One thing that when planning a trip to Disney World I have ingrained in my head is that, you are not there for the room, you are there for the parks. A big reason for this is because, in all honesty, all of Disney Resort Rooms are of far better quality than any chain hotel out there and it is not just because of the intricate themeing given to each resort on the exterior and interior. The original plan for our last trip was to be at Disney for as many days as possible, as inexpensively as possible.  This planning involved pricing a package that was going include a stay at one of the All-Star resorts. Since my wife hadn't been to Disney ever, that she could remember, I had been talking to her about the different level of resorts and the difference between the resort amenities. While doing this, we were drawn to Port Orleans Riverside and while discussing what we wanted out of this vacation, our first anniversary,  the perfect package became available to make stay at Disney Port Orleans Riverside.  So the package was booked.  Now with the forums and such today, after booking the resort, I was cruising the net to see how much had changed at the resort since the last visit my daughter and I had there. I really began to wonder what had happen to this resort, a resort with a fishing pond, nice main pool know as ol' man Island, the scenic  food court, comfy rooms with trundle beds, southern charmed and relaxed atmosphere, and scenic boat ride to Downtown Disney; because the forums were and are full of people trash talking the resort and the employees that work there. Things ranging from their trips had been ruined because a maid didn't make them towel art to beds that were not even fit for 3rd world countries and once someone would say something positive, a triad of trolls would trounce that person. Doubt weighed heavily in my mind that the resort would live up to the expectations my wife was getting from me and my daughter about our home at Disney. The doubt was so much about the shape of this beloved place was in,  that it lead to both my wife and I thinking it may be best to just switch resorts because of all the negatives out there about this place. 

Sassagoula River Port, my daughter has a flip flop in there.

 Hope prevailed though and we gathered that sense of home from the second we pulled into the check in gate with the rental car and proceeded to the main check in building.  The negative thoughts the forums have given, began to melt away as we walked up to the online check in counter. Looking around, the place was just as I had remembered it. The nice scenic "port" out the window, where on our first trip my daughter sent a brand spanking new flip flop to water grave when she was 3 and still remembers and laughs about, was teaming with activity and looked even more lush as the foliage has really taken off.  Walking the trails to our room, had an even better calming effect and the negative vibes we had gotten began to melt away even more.  Then upon opening the door to our room, being greeted with a Mickey towel art on the bed, we felt home. This was enhanced by the peaceful view from our balcony.  We knew we had come to the right place.  My wife even wrote this about why she loved this resort. "What I liked about Port Orleans Riverside... I liked how it felt very secluded, even though we weren't, everything was just a short walk away. I liked how easily we could get lost on the trails, and how if we had, had time we could have spent hours in the pools, or gone fishing. I liked how the bus stop for all the parks was just a short walk away, and at most we waited half an hour for a bus. I also liked how when it was time to go back, there were multiple stops so we could choose to go to the main building or our stop. The food choices were also great, we had quite a few choices to choose from, no matter the time of day. This place is tranquil as if it were from a different more relaxing world."

Magnolia Bend Mansions with Royal Rooms

Alligator bayou cottage buildings

 Here are some of the facts for this resort.  There are two sections one being the Alligator Bayou cottage themed buildings and other being the Magnolia Bend mansions themed buildings. The Magnolia Bend section now house the Royal Rooms and are a must for those that love the royal treatment.

All sections are connected to the main building by scenic shaded walkways and well manicured lawns depending on which sections you are coming from. The bayou has water gardens outside most buildings are very relaxing to watch. The Colonel's Cotton Mill building houses the Resort's Main Lobby  where you'll find a variety shopping, dining and entertainment including an Arcade. At the  center of the resort  there is  the 3.5-acre Ol' Man Island is encircled by a bend of the Sassagoula River. It features an extensive pool complex, a wooded playground and an old-fashioned fishing hole where you can grab a cane pole and go fishing for a while. Here you can also catch a boat to downtown Disney on the Sassagoula River that takes you past Port Orleans French Quarter, golf courses, the tree top villas, and other great Floridian scenery, can be very romantic at night. It really is a relaxing ride and a must do.

Sassagoula River boat ride to Downtown Disney

 The rooms in the alligator bayou will allow you to sleep up to 5 guest, there are two full size beds and a pull out trundle bed.  For those that like to exercise there is a nice recreation trail for jogging or you can even rent bikes for a ride. For a nice couples night out or family bonding experience you can have a nice dinner at Boatwright's Dining Hall a shipyard-themed casual restaurant with  Southern-style cuisine as well as American dishes permeated with the south. Once dinner is done you can hop a horse drawn carriage for a peaceful ride down the scenic Sassagoula River.

Views from the Sassagoula River.

Approaching Downtown Disney from the Sassagoula River.

 

Fulton's Crab House from the boat.

This place is truly our home when we stay at Walt Disney World, I would defiantly recommend any family try it to experience this wonderful resort.

The Weather and your Central Florida Vacation

Disclaimer: The suggestions in this blog posting are just that suggestions.You should always follow the Directions and Warnings given by Weather Professionals and Medical Professionals . 


Like it or not, weather can have profound impacts on your vacation. It can leave you with a blistering sunburn, soaking wet, cold, injured, or even killed. Knowing this, it is always important to watch the weather when you are on vacation. In just about every state there is the cliche saying, "If you don't like the weather in(insert location name here), wait 15 minutes and it will change." Knowing the location you are traveling to can give you a good idea on what to expect, but  Mother Nature loves to throw you a curve ball and it always seems to happen when you are on vacation.

The weather even has effects on Pooh's friends.

 
Here are some things to take into consideration when traveling to the theme parks in Central Florida.

Obey the signs, they are there for a reason.

• 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.

• Hurricane season in the Atlantic begins June 1st and ends November 30th. While these dates are significant, hurricanes can strike Florida before and after these dates, but if you are planning to travel to Central Florida during these times, make sure you check your Trip Insurance policy and your destination’s policy about their procedures dealing with Hurricanes. Here is Disney's Policy. If you happen to be in the area when a Hurricane strikes, don't be that guy thinking they can get the vacation videos or photos of a lifetime, leave that to the weather professionals and news stations. Follow instructions given to you by officials and most importantly stay safe.

Even though it's pouring, not the best time to hop in the pool.

• Tropical Storms and Tropical Depressions can be just as bad as a Hurricane. Tropical Storms are well-organized storms with tight rotation and low centralized pressure with measured wind speeds of at least 39 mph. Once it has reached this point, it is assigned a name. They can dump a lot of rain in a short span of time, trigger tornadoes and fierce lighting.

 
 

Storm Heading in over Contemporary from Poly's Dock.

• Pay close attention when watches and warnings are issued; The National Weather Service issue these watches and warnings when conditions are favorable for the development of storms that can produce Tornadoes, hail, damaging winds, and frequent lightning strikes. There are several apps for phones and tablets now available that allow you delayed radar information, this is one of the few reasons I agree with having one of these devices with you on your trip. Also remember just because you are familiar with how storms travel in your neck of the woods doesn't mean you can predict the direction of a storm or how quickly it is moving when you are at a theme park.

•  Just because it's cloudy and cool that doesn't mean you won't get sun-burnt. Always lather up with sun screen. I have been on trips where I have gotten a blistering sun tan, VERY painful. Bring along a hat and sunglasses as well. Hand held fans can be helpful and so can the little mist sprayers, but remember when you add water to your skin; it can magnify the sun rays causing severe burns or even wash away your sun screen, so make sure you continue to lather on the sun screen throughout the day.

 

Afternoon shower building and heading towards EPCOT

Storm about to unleash heavy rain and lightning at Riverside.

• In the spring, summer, and fall months plan for at least a thunderstorm every day. Sometimes they happen in late afternoon and are brief, but they can pack a wallop and bring torrential downpours when they strike. On our last trip, one evening we got 4 inches of rain within a half hour. The paths that formed the lines for the Tower of terror were literally small rivers. The storm formed nearly on top of the Disney property and came with little warning. The line for Tower of Terror was 20 minutes, when we got in line the skies were clear, by the time the doors opened on the drop shaft for our ride, the sky was so thick with rain you could not see more than 5 feet out of the tower. Even though we had planned for rain every day by having all our valuables in zip lock bags in our water proof back pack, I ended up losing my phone to the rain because it was in my pocket.  These storms do wonders for clearing out Theme Parks though. Remember Outdoor attractions will close in certain weather conditions. Some attractions will stay open if there is just light rain with no lightning, but remember riding a roller coaster in light rain may feel like you are getting a chemical peel from those rain drops.

See it does snow at Disney World

• It is going to be Hot and Humid. Plan on the heat because it can be very hot no matter what time of the year you travel. While the late fall and winter months can be very frigid and darn cold (it can snow and freeze iguanas out of the trees), it can be very warm also. With the warm comes high humidity. When these two combine it can aggravate health conditions (asthma, common colds, elderly, infants, and other ailments) so take a break in the heat the day. Make sure you are staying hydrated, find air conditioned retreats, and do more activities when it tends to be cooler like early morning or at night.

After the storms, some nice photo ops can happen

• The weather will cause travel problems. Just because it is sunny in Florida doesn't mean it won't affect your flights. Weather may delay or cancel flights into Central Florida. While a storm in New York, Chicago, Denver, or any major hub will cause hic-ups across the country. Foggy conditions in portions of Florida cause roads to be closed by  brush fires or thick fog.  Torrential downpours from storms can leave I-4 at a standstill. There is even what is called Florida Ice on the road that can happen in long dry periods. Roads can become very slippery as if you were driving on ice.

Remember you are on vacation and weather will be part of your vacation. There is plenty of indoor activities and rides that you can partake in during bad weather. Make sure you make the proper preparations for all types of weather, even for the sunny days.  Have fun, don't become a statistic. 

My Top 5 Central Florida Non-Roller Coaster Rides

My Top 5 Central Florida Non-Roller Coaster Rides

Disney and Universal really know how to immerse guest in ride experiences. They really excel in the dark ride genre.Their immersion for their rides comes in story lines, preshows(the detail put into the lines and waiting areas), and also in the technology that make their rides thrilling and appealing to all ages. These are the rides I feel are at the top of the game in all of central Florida and possibly across the United States.

5) Star Tours 2- The first trip was great, humorous and memorable. Now with multiple story lines and 3D, this ride has gone to a whole new level. Disney and George Lucas have done wonders with this re-imagined ride. The story lines are randomly chosen so it make re-riding this ride a must. The preshows areas are amazing and humorous with homages paid the original Star Tours. This is must for any Star Wars fan! Who am I kidding, you don't need to be a Star Wars fan to enjoy this journey.

MIB the ride at Universal Studios Orlando

4) Men In Black- This is a great interactive shooter ride. Universal Studios take the humor from the movies, adds a nice story line for theme park visitors, and sends riders shooting and spinning through town under siege. Everyone emerges as a hero with fun and surprise awaiting you around every corner.   Men in Black will beckon you to re-ride and best your last score or see what you missed and make your opponent's car spin. There as scenes and characters from the movie in the preshow line, including the worms. While some may argue that Toy Story Mania is better, Men in Black has more depth and discovery than Toy Story Mania. Suit up and see if you have what it takes to Save the city.



3) Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. It's a classic dark ride combined with drop ride. It may not have the towering heights that some drop towers have, but it sure to give you plenty of air time and different drop sequences, something those other towers can't do. Themeing of this ride is by far one of Disney's best in all of the parks. There are great visual effects and I just love when the star field opens and the dropping and lifting begins. Be sure to try the penny trick.(Drop me a line and I will let you in it.)

What's up with that guy in the center...oh wait that's me.

Have fun storming the castle!

2) Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey- It's Harry Potter goodness and an over all great experience. To take it all in you need to ride it several times. I recommend sitting on the far right hand side, that is if you like dragon breath. The one flaw I see in this ride is that  you do have the same story over and over and over again. This is something Disney has been able to out do Universal with when Star Tours 2 opened. That doesn't make this a horrible ride, it is by far one of the most interesting and fun rides out there. Make sure you look closely at the mist from the Dementor, you will see your own face. Oh if your afraid of spiders, you might want to skip this ride. The line is very entertaining as well. Since the line moves at different rates, you may not get to see all of the stories or spells that are cast. For example, once in the room where you meet Harry and gang, it started snowing and other times we got to see some interesting happenings from the paintings that are hung through out the line.

1)The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man- This ride just got a digital upgrade(which I won't be able to experience until the fall) and is getting rave reviews! This ride was getting rave reviews even before the digital upgrades. Harry Potter may be the new kid in town, but this ride in my opinion offers a more multi-sensory trip. This ride can leave you disoriented,feeling toasty from real flames, and allow you to battle side by side with Spider-Man against some of Marvels most fearsome Villains like Doc Oct and Venom. Universal has a winner on their hand here!




The Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man has a big brother and technology upgrade out there that just opened up out in California. Transformers:The Ride. Ride reviews have been phenomenal about this new version of the Spiderman ride as Transformers. Maybe someday it will show up at Universal Orlando?


What are you favorite Dark Rides? Who do you think has the better rides?

T-shirts

A shipment of T-Shirts just arrived. T-Shirts are $15. Shipping is free

T-shirts are in limited supply and selling fast so
Contact me at Matt@firehousefamilyvacations.com to place your order today

Available in Black, Red, or Navy

Front with small Logo

Back with large logo

Traveling with someone with a food allergry

When you have someone in your family that has a food allergy, your dining options tend to become limited. Disney on the other hand works with that person to make their dining experience is as pleasant as possible while addressing the food allergy. My wife has a food allergy that tends to make dining difficult. She is allergic to onions. Onions, in all of its various forms, are in more foods than most people realize. So to help people understand how Disney goes out of their way for food allergies, my wife has taken over the blogging duties for this post.

Anyone with a food allergy will tell you that it isn’t easy to go out to eat; you never know what you can and cannot eat. Most servers when I tell them that I have an allergy are pretty good and will go talk to the cooks, or look on the packages of the food to find out whether I can have something or not, then come back and tell me. Sometimes no one at the restaurant can tell me what I can eat or not, this is not the servers fault but the restaurants’;that is truly inexcusable.

This is where we celebrated our anniversary

Last spring when we were making a few of our dining reservations for our trip to Disney I was worried about which restaurants I would be able to eat at, and what they would do so that I wouldn’t go hungry.So when making Advanced Dinner Reservations, I let the person on the other end of the line know I had a food allergy.  They assured me that they would put that on the reservation.  At our first dinner at The Magic Kingdom, Cinderella's Royal Table, I made sure that the hostess was aware of my allergy and when we got seated, on our ticket in big red capital letters it said “ALLERGY” when the server acknowledged it and told me that I would not be able to order my dinner until the chef had come out to discuss what on the menu I would be able to eat. When the chef came to the table, he knew every ingredient in every dish, 

so she knew exactly what I could have; I was very impressed and relieved, but this was for a plated meal.

My goofy hubby

The dining room is beautiful

 I had fears about eating at a family style meal, which is a wonderful option at Disney. When we got to this meal at the The Good Turns Restaurant at the Land in EPCOT, I was informed there were numerous dishes I wasn't going to be able to have but the chef asked me what I would like and put together a plate with just about everything that was on the regular menu specially prepared for me minus any ingredient that would have onion in it. . There ended up being so much food on that plate I couldn't eat it all. I did learn the hard way though, that even if you do tell them when you make the reservation that there is someone with a food allergy, you still have to make sure you tell the hostess when you get there; it doesn't get put on your ticket without doing that, there is a small communications error in the chain there. I was very impressed by how out of their way the chefs at Disney went, and how serious they took my allergy.

Not only did I have a great meal, I got to meet Pluto also.

I am looking forward to our next trip to Disney, not only because of the parks, but because I know, I will be able to go into a restaurant and say “I’m allergic to Onions” and know that I’m going to have an enjoyable meal. I would highly recommend to those of us with food allergies or other dietary requirements to eat at Disney. It was annoying to not be able to choose 100% of what I wanted to eat, but it was a huge relief to know that the food I was eating was not going to cause me problems.

My Top 5 Favorite "Stock" Rides that are non-rollercoasters

In Celebration of Opening Day of Amusement Parks across the country, I present my top 5 amusement park rides. In a previous post, I highlighted my top 10 roller coasters, but most coasters are unique to the park they are built in. The other rides tend to be "off the shelf rides" or "stock" rides that several parks can purchase to give guests thrills.  Here are some of my top 5 "stock" rides, most still can be found across the country, but one is now a ride that is quickly going into extinction.

Rest in Pieces

5)  The old school Rotor - This great ride would spin and have centrifugal force stick you to the wall. When ride got up to speed, screams would fill the air as the floor was dropped out from beneath you. This would leave you stuck to the wall a good foot or two off the floor. If you can find one of these, take the chance to give it a whirl. These are becoming quickly extinct from amusement parks across the country. The last one I rode was the Cajun Cliff Hanger at Six Flags Great America, it has since met it's demise. Now there are some rides that travel with carnivals that are called Gravitons, these work on the same concept but in no way compare to a Rotor.

Viking Fury at Kings Island placement over the water gives it more character

4) The Pirate Ship or Swinging Boat-  A classic ride usually themed to a ship of some sort, designed to make you "loose your stomach".  Back in the day, and occasionally nowadays,  rides would ended up with one end of the boat at it's pinnacle declaring "Taste great" then the other at it's pinnacle "Less filling". Fans of this ride, like myself, will seek out the the bow or the stern of the ship to get the most height and thrill from this ride.

Simple yet fun

3) The tilt-a-whirl- This ride can get you dizzy and make you giggle at the same time. Once you get that sweet spot and start spinning you will be hooked. Watch out for protein spills(google it), especially if spinning rides do you in.

The octopus  lights up a midway nicely

2) The Octopus (also known as The Monster or The Spider). The thrills of losing your stomach from sudden dips combined with the spinning you get from a tilt-a-whirl equals great times. Many of these rides have nice lighting packages that add more character to them at night.

1) The S&S Screamin' Swings- A twist on the pirate ship concept. This is a swing on steroids, nice open air ride experience, and it is a LOUD ride that is powered by large air compressors. Cedar Point has the largest, SkyHawk, towering in at 125 feet with two giant arms, each holding 20 riders, swinging at 60 mph. Dollywood has heavily themed one, that slices through a barn. They start out tame and then ramp up taking you to extreme heights. This ride is definitely not for people who like tame rides.

What are your favorite Amusement Park Rides? 

Coming Soon....My Top Central Florida rides.

A view to remember

This is a view that has sadly left Walt DisneyWorld... The view from the front cab of the Monorail

On the Express line heading past The Grand Floridan

The ride from the front cab of the Monorail  gave a unique perspective from the highway in the sky.

Arriving at the Ticket and Transportation Center

Right now only the Pilots of the Monorail get this view. Maybe someday guest will get this view again as well.

POR FAVOR MANTENGASE ALEJADO DE LAS PUERTAS

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.

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?