Is Your Vacation Safe From Swine Flu?

It’s not just schools that are thinking about the spread of Swine Flu.

Travelers all over the world are talking about how safe their vacation plans are with the widespread H1N1 virus on the loose.  Theme parks are of particular concern for families as they debate whether or not to cancel their trips to some of the happiest places on earth.

Places like Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida are known for their rides and attractions.  But they are also home to thousands of international tourists, crowds and close encounters with other guests and costumed characters.  In other words, it’s a potential gold mine for germs!

Rest assured, park officials at most major theme parks are taking extraordinary precautions to keep their tourist havens safe.  Disney World has installed over 200,000 individual hand sanitizing stations across the parks.  Employees are being vaccinated and taught to closely monitor whether guests they come in contact with show signs of illness, and how to respond accordingly with things like costume changes.  (If you sneeze on Goofy, he’s going to be changing his shirt.)

Experts at the CDC say that theme parks aren’t necessarily any more dangerous than any place else, pointing out that there are numerous opportunities for people to catch the H1N1 virus during their normal day to day activities.

There are, of course, a few things you can do to help stay health while you travel.

Read More »

Starting January 1, 2010 you can give some magic to someone in need and get some magic in return.  Disney Magic, no less.

The Disney Theme Parks are starting a great new campaign, one that rewards community service with free admission to a Disney Park. Read More »

Bad drivers are everywhere.

It’s the Labor Day weekend.  Finally.  Kids have been back in school for DAYS now and they need some down time.  Also, parents.

Here’s the thing about the 3-day weekends.  Everybody gets them (except those that don’t and I’m sorry to add to your frustration) and as such people are out and many of them are also about.  Everybody, and often their brother, are going someplace, anyplace to make that last piece of summer stretch. Must. Save. Summer. Read More »

Bring your own bubbles.

The journey is long, the road is winding and the destination calls you always forward.

Screw it. Read More »

As an official Floridian, I get emails all the time from people with questions about their upcoming Orlando vacations.  Apparently, a Florida driver’s license makes me an expert on tourism.  Well, that and my awesome habit of usually being right and knowing everything.

Most recently, a friend emailed to ask me which theme park is better – Walt Disney World or Universal Studios Orlando?

My expert opinion is that it depends.

Universal Studios vs. Disney World

Questions to ask when deciding which theme park is right for your vacation.

How old are your kids?

Both of the mega theme parks in Orlando cater to children.  Obviously.  But the age of your children will make a big difference in what they’ll get out of each.

Walt Disney World is perfect for toddlers and preschool age children. My 4 year old daughter thinks that Disney World is heaven and Mickey Mouse just might be the Messiah.  Which is a testament to Disney’s marketing and not at all a reflection of my poor parenting.

meeting Mickey

There is a limitless supply of things for her to look at it.  From parades to musical shows, we could easily spend days and days just sitting and watching stuff at Disney World and she would never be bored.  My 9 year old son?  His eyes were in danger of rolling out of his head after the first 5 minutes of the Mickey Club House sing-a-long show.

Disney World also has tons of rides and attractions that are suited to a younger child.  A Small World doesn’t scare the crap out of my daughter, and she is more than happy to stand in line for yet another ride on a carousel.

on the carousel

However, a trip to Universal Studios requires at least one adult willing to spend a lot of time sitting with a toddler and a stroller while everyone else goes on the big kid rides.  While Universal’s Islands of Adventure offers Dr. Seuss land, the overwhelming majority of rides and attractions are better suited for older children.

How much of your vacation is dedicated to theme parks?

Disney is best experienced in big, huge chunks. Our very first trip to Disney World was for an evening event.  We spent 4 hours at the Magic Kingdom and came home stressed out and exhausted from trying to squeeze as much in as we could in a short amount of time.  Our second trip to Disney World was for a long weekend and we stayed at a Disney World hotel.  We visited 3 of the 4 parks and everyone had a chance to do (or see) at least one thing on their Disney Must Do List.

If you’re going to do Disney, then do Disney.  Give yourself plenty of time to soak it all in and understand why it’s called the happiest place on Earth.  You’ll also save a ton of money by buying a multi-day ticket.

Universal Studios is perfect if you want to do something besides amusement parks during your Orlando vacation. You can spend one or two days and get the most out of both Universal parks.

Universal Studios roller coasters

If you’re trying to get as much into your vacation itinerary as possible on the lowest budget, spend the big bucks on Universal and then go for some of the cheaper things to do in Orlando (like a trip to the beach).  Central Florida offers so much more than roller coasters and cartoon characters.

How much money do you want to spend?

While the ticket prices for single day admission are comparable, I always find we spend more money when we go to Disney World than when we visit Universal Studios.

Of course Universal Studios has theme restaurants with overpriced hamburgers, souvenir shops, face painting and a dozen chances to have your family vacation immortalized in a caricature drawing.  But Disney is the master of the upsell.

You can tell we love our children because they have ears

You can’t walk three feet in Disney World without someone trying to convince your kids to ask you for money.  Vendors walk the streets hawking $10 balloons, neon necklaces, gourmet cookies and of course you have to buy the ears. And don’t forget all of the extra experiences you can buy!  You can have lunch with a character or giver your little girl a princess makeover – but don’t expect that to be included in your price of admission.

The biggest difference between the two parks is that Disney is an experience, while Universal Studios is an attraction.  You need to decide if you’re planning a Disney Vacation or a vacation to Florida.

(All photos by Britt Reints.  Obviously.  Or this would just be creepy.)

“Here you leave today and enter the world of yesterday, tomorrow and fantasy”

It’s probably fair to say that you’ve heard of Disneyland.  It was the first of the modern family amusement parks and it is still the best.  Sure, other places might have a few more bells and whistles, but for history, detail, magic and fun, you can’t beat Disneyland.  It is the family vacation.

Disneyland was founded by Walt Disney as an alternative to the existing parks of his time.  He wanted someplace clean and fun where kids could be kids and adults could escape from the pressures of their daily lives.  He wanted a place where reality was checked at the door, or gate as the case may be.  It worked and it is still working today.

Located in Anaheim, California, just south of Los Angeles, the park is popular with both locals and tourists.  It can be visited in one day- one hurried, tiring and frustrating day, or it can be done at a slower pace.  Combine the park with the second gate,  Disney’s California Adventure, the Downtown Disney entertainment area and some quality hotel time, and you can stretch it for a week.

Disneyland is divided into different themed areas, each connected via the hub in the center or the railroad that runs mainly along the perimeter of the public areas of the park.

The areas consist of Main Street, U.S.A.,  Adventureland, Frontierland, Fantasyland, Tomorrowland, New Orleans Square, Critter Country and Mickey’s Toontown.

Each different land offers a variety of rides, shows, shops, dining and opportunities to meet and greet an array of Disney’s famous characters.

Disneyland has numerous spacious and clean restrooms, a quiet area for those with small children, first aid, assistance for guests with disabilities, lockers and anything else one might need while away from home.

Of note for parents traveling with children that do not meet the height requirements on some rides, ask a cast member about a child swap voucher which will allow one parent to ride while the other stays with the kid(s).  Then the second parent may access the same ride through a much shorter line than the main queue.

Updated park hours, ticket prices and special events can be found here.  Driving directions are available here.

Read of my personal experiences at Disneyland here.

All photos by Whit Honea.

There’s not much thought usually given to amusement parks or theme parks when you’re planning New York vacations, considering that most visitors to the Big Apple look upon it as an urban oasis for adults, rather than a place for the kiddies. But if you dig a little deeper, you’ll find a range of unique amusement and theme parks spread across the East Coast.

And by unique, I do mean unique. New York, as a whole, has a wacky sense of humor, and that gets reflected down the line, even to the thrill rides and the arcades. So what I’m going to do here, is to list out the best options – in terms of fun and ability to combine a weekend getaway with the theme park visit – while on a trip to New York. I figure that’ll be more useful than a laundry list of every single the amusement parks in New York.

Coney Island in Brooklyn, NYC – Its decrepit and chaotic, but Brooklyn’s Coney Island is the one place which most closely has the kind of attractions and rides and fun stuff which appeals to the bored New Yorker – Young and old. The latest attraction is a WaterBoard Thrill Ride – Robots re-enacting a Guantanamo Bay waterboarding torture skit. One of the robots is wearing a yellow jumpsuit, like the detainees at Gitmo, and he is tied up and spread out on a table. Leaning over him is a torturer in a dark hooded sweatshirt. You drop a dollar into the slot, and they come alive. The ‘dark one’ starts pouring water from a jug onto the face of the detainee, who then promptly flaps about, like he’s choking.

And it helps that the creator of this freak sideshow – Graffiti artist Steve Powers – has painted a sign at the entrance featuring Spongebob Squarepants as the detainee and he’s saying ‘It don’t Gitmo better!’ Maybe you think its funny, maybe you don’t. Either way, your kids (who probably have no idea about the whole flap over waterboarding) will love it. Oh, and its just a stone’s throw from Nathan’s Famous, so you might as well wolf down some hot dogs. More details about Coney island and all its attractions and rides, including Astroland, here.

Great Escape, Lake George, NY – Run by Six Flags, this 140 acre theme park is a typical Six Flags mix of rides, a water park, entertainment, food and festivities. Your kids will most definitely enjoy it, and if you’re the kind who enjoys a carnival atmosphere, then so will you. They also have a neat lodge, if you want to stay over for a weekend. More details here.

Six Flags Great Adventure, Jackson, NJ – This one is a couple of notches above Great Escape. 2200 acre park, and in addition to the usual thrills and roller coasters, also features the largest drive-thru safari outside Africa – A 350 acre wildlife preserve with over 1200 animals, including rhinos, lions, elephants and kangaroos. Details here.

Rye Playland in Rye, Westchester County, NY – Arcade games and over 50 major rides and attractions, plus the Ice Casino, which is kind of a big deal, as far as ice skating events and games on the East Coast are concerned. Plenty of free fun with a beach, pool, boardwalk and pier on Long Island Sound, with lake boating, a picnic area, and mini golf. Deatils here.

Photo copyrights Astroland Amusement Park