Where in the World Wednesdays - Destinations to Explore Before Leaving This Life: Mt. Vernon

Mount Vernon – Alexandria, Virginia

For over 40 years, George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the American forces during the nation’s Revolutionary War to establish independence from England, and the first President of the United States, called Mount Vernon home. Along with his wife Martha, the Washingtons lived at this the most popular historic estate in America, which is situated along the Potomac River in Northern Virginia.

Guests can get a glimpse of 18^th century life when visiting Mount Vernon, as they enjoy working their way through more than a dozen original structures, including the Mansion itself.  They’ll also see Washington’s Tomb, a working blacksmith shop and the George Washington: Pioneer Farmer site, which is a 4-acre demonstration farm with a reconstructed slave cabin and 16-sided treading barn.  The extensive plantation covers more than 50 acres, and is American landmark. 

It is a lasting reminder of the life and legacy of the man known as the Father of our Country.  With video displays, immersive displays and over 500 artifacts, George Washington’s life will come alive for visitors, especially through the featured film presentation, “We Fight for Freedom” presented in the Ford Orientation Center.  It offers visitors a chance to understand America’s first hero and the fascinating world in which he lived. Since the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association bought the nearly empty Mansion in 1858, it has gathered Washington objects and used archaeology and research to piece together clues about the buildings and gardens of a bygone era. Over 1 million visitors walk in Washington's footsteps each year, making Mount Vernon the most popular historic estate in America.

Mount Vernon is located about 16 miles south of Washington, D.C. and is an excellent day trip for families or student groups visiting the U.S. capitol.  For more information about a visit to Mount Vernon or Washington, D.C., or other historic destinations, call 855.776.1733 or submit a vacation quote request or submit a vacation quote request at: www.neverlandadventurestravel.com or www.neverlandadventurescruises.com.  Be sure to follow me on Twitter, like my page on Facebook, circle me on Google+, and pin me on Pinterest. 

Tips on Thursday - Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party

© Disney

Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is a Halloween-themed special event held on select dates in Magic Kingdom theme park. Purchase of an additional event admission ticket is required to attend Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party.

During Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, Guests of all ages are encouraged to dress up in their favorite Halloween costumes. Even better, you can collect delicious candy as you trick-or-treat around Magic Kingdom theme park.

In addition to many favorite Disney attractions, Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party is filled with special entertainment, including:

• Mickey's "Boo-to-You" Halloween Parade —including Disney Characters and the stars of the Haunted Mansion attraction. The parade begins with a spook-tacular ride by the Headless Horseman.
• Happy HalloWishes — a spectacular fireworks show where the Disney Villains go trick-or-treating in the sky.
• Many favorite Disney Characters and Disney Villains in special Halloween costumes.
• Special lighting, music and theming effects transforms special areas of Magic Kingdom theme park into happy haunted hollows.

The tone of the event is, well, "Not-So-Scary", and is appropriate for children of all ages.

Saturday Savers - Bikes

It’s time once again to take a look at inexpensive options in or around Walt Disney World to augment your vacation experience.  Things that you might do on your own or with your traveling companions that are FREE or close to being free. Today we'll take a look at fun and enjoyment to be found throughout the various Resort Hotels at Walt Disney World - while not free, it can be had for a nominal charge.


Rent a bike and explore the trails around one of the many resorts. Every Walt Disney World Resort hotel has some kind of trail, but the trails around Wilderness Lodge and Ft. Wilderness are especially nice. Bikes can be rented for around $10 per hour at most of the Deluxe and DVC resorts, as well as at Fort Wilderness whether you are a guest at the individual resort or not.  It's a great way to pass some time on a non-theme park day.  

Walt Disney World Firsts

It Was a Week Full of “Firsts” – and Oh-So TRIPPY…

We just got home a couple of days ago from another terrific and memorable trip to Walt Disney World.  Was I sad to leave?  Always.  But as I tell me kids time and time again, all good things come to end.  And so yes, this trip ended as well, and we had to come home once again.  Was it nice to sleep in my own bed again?  You bet.  I always love sleeping in my own bed again after being gone.  There’s just something about sleeping in your own bed, you know?

Despite all of the dozens of times that I have been to Walt Disney World (and yes, it’s close to five dozen times), this trip was full of quite a few “firsts” for us – both collectively as a family, and for me personally as an individual. 

• Driving my own car at Walt Disney World was – in a word – trippy.   I have driven rental cars all over the place multiple times there, but never before had I driven my own Jeep there.  Growing up in Southern California, driving to Disneyland was no big deal… but driving to Florida?!?  Something we had never, ever done before.  You have to understand that long car rides… just not something we’ve done much of since the kids were very little.  It’s true our kids have visited 26 states, but most of those trips were taken when they were a lot younger.  Thinking about it, they’ve been on planes nearly as many times as I’ve been to Walt Disney World.
• My oldest son was part of the driving crew!  Yikes.  He drove about 6 hours on the way down to Florida, and about 6 hours on the way home.  Again, in a word… trippy.
• We spent a lot of time in the pools… I mean a LOT of time.  We were there just about every single day.  This is so not like us.  While we enjoy the occasional dip, we are just not pool people.  And spending hours at the pool – at Walt Disney World – has just never been something we’ve done.  Sure a dip here, maybe there, once or twice during a visit – but never every single day – until now.  Very trippy.
• We enjoyed a pool-side movie.  Fancy that.  I’ve talked about them here in my blog previously, and told many people about them – but we’ve never experienced one for ourselves.  We watched “Finding Nemo” while enjoying the pool at Kidani Village.  Huh.  Trippy. 
• Not going into the theme parks, of course, meant no theme park meals.  We planned to avoid the theme parks all along – but we also ended up not planning any table service meals at all.  So NO ADR’s for this trip.  That was different.  Kinda trippy.    We did end up going to BOMA, thanks to a mix-up on the resort’s part and the subsequent “we messed up” gift card, but we didn’t plan that in advance.  I did arrange a reservation for us 2 days in advance – but again – trippy, since the typical long-term “ADVANCED” in ADR was absent.  Most people don’t make ADR’s 2 days in advance. 
• We did not buy souvenirs on this trip.  No pins.  Nothing.  We’ve been so often, there really was no need to bring more of the same old crap home.  While I was pleased to see some new resort-specific merchandise in the shops, there really was nothing that made me say “I’ve GOT to have that.”  So the wallet stayed in the pocket, and came home no worse for the wear.   Trippy.  I almost always come home with something.
• We enjoyed many of the same “free” or “nearly free” things that I have been talking about in my semi-regular “Saturday Savers” posts.  

We took our daughter over to the Tri-Circle D Ranch at Ft. Wilderness to check out the horses. Sadly she was 3 inches too tall to be able to ride the ponies, despite being within the age and weight range.  Sigh.  The tears only lasted a few moments, and then she was happy to at least be able to pet them.  

In the Cars section of Art of Animation

The new DVC resort under construction

 I took the family over to explore new resorts that they had not yet seen - such as the all-new Art of Animation Resort and the Yacht and Beach Clubs - and from a distance we saw the progress being made on the new DVC resort, the Villas at the Grand Floridian, currently under construction.  Kinda trippy doing things with them, that I’ve done numerous times before on my various solo research trips.

• We did NOT sit and watch Stacy!  
• We did watch "I Love Lucy" - in fact numerous times, as it was requested by my daughter numerous times as we scrolled through the on-screen listings menu.  Anytime she saw it, she would shout out for Lucy! (I love that girl... she loves Lucy almost as much as her daddy does.)  Sitting and watching television while at Walt Disney World has never happened before... except to sit and watch Stacy. 

• We enjoyed the Kitchen Sink at Beaches & Cream at Disney's Beach Club.  Finished it, too (well, we did leave some melted ice cream mixed with about 7 or 8 cherries in the bottom that my son kept calling primordial soup… but otherwise, we finished that monstrosity!)   If you’ve never experienced it for yourself, or if you’ve never even heard of the Kitchen Sink… let me elaborate just a bit for you.  It’s 8 scoops of ice cream, topped with EVERY kind of topping they have, plus a whole can – yes, I said it – a WHOLE CAN of whipped cream.  It’s ghastly – yet fun – in a trippy sort of way.  The toppings alone amazed me.  The menu made it seem like just the standard liquid topping variety – but OH NO – there were cake bits, brownie pieces, pieces of candy bars, bananas, pineapple, candied fruit, nuts, and probably an entire jar of cherries, since each of my three kids had at least 6 to 7 cherries apiece (plus those 7 or 8 left in the bottom of the dish).  Crazy.  Fun.  DEFINITELY memorable.  But not something that we need to do again. 

• We enjoyed spending some time (albeit just an hour or so) with friends from another state, who checked in while were at the World!  In the same resort that we had just checked out that morning no less! (Long story short but due to a relatively last-minute change of plans, we had to change resorts for the last couple of nights of our trip - but it was a blessing in disguise because the original plans would have had us leaving WDW 2 days prior to Mark & Julie's arrival... this way we got to visit with them after all!).  Prior to checking out we were joking that they might even end up with "OUR" room at Kidani Village (sadly, no dice, they ended up on the OTHER end of the savannah). Encounters like that do seem to make the famous (and often famously maligned Sherman Brothers song from that iconic Fantasyland attraction ring true - it IS a small world after all!).  

• We got to watch Wishes from the Top of the World Lounge at Bay Lake Tower! Not being BLT point owners, and not having stayed at that resort - we have not had the usually exclusive pleasure of experienced this perk previously.  But since it was made available for a "limited time" to any DVC owner staying on points at any DVC resort, we decided to head on over and see if we could get in and watch from there.  Knowing the Top of the World has limited space, we weren't sure if we would get in or not, but tried anyway.  We were told guests could arrive as early as 6pm, but Wishes wasn't until 10pm.  No way were we going to sit over there for that long.  We arrived at 9pm, and figured if we couldn't get in, we'd simply ride the Monorail over to the Polynesian and watch from the beach (something else we've never done).  But we got in with no problem.  All told, when the fireworks began - the Lounge was probably little more than half full - so there was no need to stress about it at all.  Other nights it might have been more crowded - but our night - not at all.  A big bonus right there!  As a show, Wishes, to me, is very stale and needs to be replaced (especially after watching two different far-superior fireworks presentations at Disneyland in the years since Wishes was first rolled out, and were created after Wishes by the same dude who created Wishes in the first place... it's time Steve Davison to put your fireworks focus back on Walt Disney World!) - but I digress, enough to say that it was fun to experience it from a new vantage point - especially to see how truly far behind the Magic Kingdom the shells are actually shot up from.  The show does lose a LOT in the translation when not watching it from within the confines of the Magic Kingdom - BUT it was fresh and new watching it from the 16th floor of Bay Lake Tower.  Despite being stale to me, it was a great final night bit of fun for all of us. 

• We went in JULY.  For any of you following along who have ever read any comments I have made on the DIS, or any other online spot I may have commented… we do NOT like the heat and humidity of Florida in the Summer time.  I have avoided it like the plague – until this year.  When we realized that this 10 day period of the summer was pretty much the ONLY time during the entire summer that all five of us would be “home” at the same time – and not off on some Scout, Church or other outing.  So way back in February we decided that the only way to protect that time – and give us the much-desired family time that we needed – was to effectively get “out of dodge” and enjoy our timeshare.  That way none of us would be tempted to respond to the various text messages, phone calls, Facebook posts or Tweets that would come around saying – “COME…. Do this, that or whatever else....”  By being 900 miles away from all of that – we could have that coveted family time.  It was a wise choice.  We enjoyed spending time together, reconnecting, being silly, playing games and just hangin’ out together.  Very, very trippy.  I highly recommend taking your own family doing something similar – especially when the busy-ness of the teen years creep in and overtake your household!  With one super active teen, one getting more and more active all-the-time teen, one slightly busy pre-teen and two busy parents – we must SCHEDULE this kind of time in order to capture it – at all.  Otherwise this friend, that friend, this activity or that activity WILL overtake one or more family member each and every week. 

It’s crazy – but it will all change in just two short years when our eldest leaves for college – followed a couple of years later by our middle son, and then it will all come crashing down in just a few short years when the last of the kids is off on her way to college.  It’s very trippy how all those years ago when the boys were but wee ones people would exhort us to “enjoy this time while it lasts” – we were so full of ourselves thinking it would last longer than it actually does.  And here we are – with a son driving us to Walt Disney World, getting ready to start his Junior year of high school and the college information keeps coming in the mail each and every week.   Trippy is definitely an understatement for the week that we experienced – but even more appropriate for the short 16 years that have literally flown by.  Now to start figuring out which week will be the “one week” next summer so that we can hopefully do it all again…

Until next time,

Saturday Savers - Campfire Fun at the Fort!

It’s time once again to take a look at inexpensive options in or around Walt Disney World to augment your vacation experience.  Things that you might do on your own or with your traveling companions that are FREE or close to being free. Today we'll take a look at some campfire fun to be found at Disney’s Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground.

The campfire program at Ft. Wilderness is open to all Walt Disney World resort guests.  There you can sing around the campfire and watch a FREE Disney movie, in a rustic, wooded environment, which is quite fitting to the campfire experience!

The campfire is held every evening near the Meadow Trading Post.  It starts at about 7:00 pm in the fall and winter, and at about 8:00 pm in the spring and summer.  It starts with an old fashioned sing-a-long and marshmallow roast.  Guests are welcome to bring their own food or they can purchase supplies from the Chuckwagon, which offers S'mores kits for around $9-10.  These kits have enough supplies to make s’mores for about 4 people, so plan accordingly if you don’t bring your own supplies.  The Chuckwagon also offers other food items such as hot dogs, pizza and soft drinks.

Chip and Dale will come out and meet the guests and sign their autograph albums – and of course let you take a picture. Following the campfire program, a Disney movie is shown on a large outdoor screen., similar to the poolside movies shown at other resorts.  The Fort does offer some seating on bleachers and benches, but many guests prefer to lay out a blanket on the grass.  

There are no reservations for this program – simply show up and enjoy.  The best part of it all is that it is FREE to attend, and only a nominal charge if you want to make s’mores. 

Tips on Thursday - Entertainment & Enrichment at Sea

From Blue-Faced Men to Rainbow-Colored Carousels

Remember when shipboard entertainment was simply a poolside game led by the cruise director and perhaps the occasional ice carving contest? These days it’s more like surfing on Royal Caribbean’s FlowRider and splashing in Disney Dream’s AquaDuck, the first water coaster at sea. When cruise lines proclaim that a vessel has more activities onboard than most resorts, they’re not kidding. Here’s a sampling of what modern ships have to offer in the arena of entertainment and enrichment.

Ice Bar aboard Norwegian Epic

Not just the vodka is chilled. The bar, tables, stools, and even the walls are made of ice and kept at an arctic 17 degrees.

Cunard Insights aboard Queen Mary 2

Imagine attending a lecture series headlined by such well-known personalities as John Cleese, star of the Monty Python films, or Dr. Ruth Westheimer, television’s famous therapist.

Carousel aboard Oasis of the Seas

Hand-crafted and one-of-a-kind, the Carousel found onboard Royal Caribbean's Oasis of the Seas is the whimsical centerpiece of the Boardwalk, inspired by Coney Island for the young and young at heart.

Bon Appétit Culinary Center aboard Marina

If you are not satisfied with just feasting on edible indulgences but want to learn to craft culinary excellence as well, try the hands-on instruction provided by Oceania Cruises’ master chefs.

Blue Man Group aboard Norwegian Epic

This award-winning show and concert, once found only in Vegas, will combine music, comedy and multimedia theatrics.

Digital Workshop aboard Holland America Line's Nieuw Amsterdam

Powered by Windows, this interactive design studio offers free classes on images, blogs, movies, scrapbooks, and more.

WaterWorks aboard Carnival Dream

With 19,000 square feet catering to kids and families, Carnival Dream ship features an aqua park with the longest water slide at sea. Don’t miss the comedy club and outdoor laser shows.

For more information and to reserve your next vacation, contact me at 317.776.1733 or simply visit my website. 

Where in the World Wednesdays - Destinations to Explore Before Leaving This Life

Valley Forge National Historical Park - Valley Forge, PA

In the picturesque, rolling hillsides of eastern Pennsylvania, only about 23 miles northwest of Philadelphia, lies the 3,500-acres that make up the Valley Forge National Historical Park - a peaceful reminder of the hard-fought war, and sacrifices were given long ago (nearly 235 years ago) helped secure the national freedoms we still enjoy today. It was here at Valley Forge that General George Washington forged his Continental Army into a fighting force during the winter encampment of 1777-78.

Though no battles were fought there; and no bayonet charges or artillery bombardments took place, some 2,000 soldiers died (more Americans than were killed at the battles of Germantown and Brandywine combined); Valley Forge tells the epic story of an army’s very real struggle to survive.  The odds were immense – hunger, frigid temperatures, and disease. But survive they did. And their tenacity was a turning point in the War for Independence – the Revolutionary War. 

The Park serves as a reminder of those troubled times.  Visitors are able to see for themselves Washington’s original stone headquarters, which has been lovingly restored and furnished; along with several log soldier huts that have been reconstructed. Nearby a train station from 1913 features interactive exhibits of Washington and his confidantes and the town just to the west of the Park is a very quaint reminder of America’s Colonial past.  Throughout the Park statues and monuments illuminate America’s heritage for Park visitors, including statues of General "Mad Anthony" Wayne and Baron Friedrich von Steuben as well as the Monument to Patriots of African Descent. 

Many visitors will find the Visitor Center’s exhibits and artifacts to be very informative and interesting. The Encampment Store offers books, souvenirs, gifts, light refreshments and more. The Park offers both self-guided auto and walking tours, as well as Ranger-led hikes and during the summer months, a trolley tour, as well as bicycle rentals.  Valley Forge National Historical Park includes roughly 20 miles of multi-use trails that wind throughout the park’s rolling hillsides.

George Washington, as depicted in
the American Adventure at
Walt Disney World's Epcot

Valley Forge is quite easily accessible via the Valley Forge exit of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.  The Park itself is located at Route 23 and North Gulph Road in Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. The Visitor Center and other park buildings are open from 9 am to 5 pm year-round, except Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s Day - while the park grounds themselves are open from dawn to dusk.

For more information about Valley Forge or other National Parks, Monuments, or Historical Parks, or to reserve your next vacation, contact me at 317.776.1733.

Saturday Savers - Nighttime Fun at Disney's Boardwalk Resort

It’s time once again to take a look at inexpensive options in or around Walt Disney World to augment your vacation experience.  Things that you might do on your own or with your traveling companions that are FREE or close to being free. Today we'll take a look at what's going on at Disney's Boardwalk Resort.

Disney's Boardwalk is built around Crescent Lake, just to the west of the International Gateway at Epcot, and a little to the north of Disney’s Hollywood Studios.  Its design is reminiscent of Atlantic boardwalk resorts of the 1930’s & ‘40’s. The resort itself has many fun things to see and do, and really “comes alive” at sunset and on throughout the evening hours with numerous FREE and inexpensive entertainment offerings.  It's a fun place to just walking around and enjoy the atmosphere! While some of the restaurants are open at lunchtime, the best time to visit the BoardWalk is after sunset. It's beautifully lit up, and really “comes alive” after dark.

Some of the FREE and relatively inexpensive things you can do at Disney's BoardWalk include:  

• Rent an old-fashioned fringe-topped surrey (for up to 6 guests) and ride around Crescent Lake.
• Watch the various street performers (jugglers, comedians, sword swallowers, fire-eaters, musicians, etc.)
• Get some delicious, relatively inexpensive treats at the various food vendors, shops & restaurants around the water’s edge.  Seashore Sweets includes both candy and ice cream treats, including hand-dipped cones, and shakes. 
• Try your luck at carnival-style games – these aren’t free, but can be great fun.
• Sit and watch the Friendship Boats come and go - or sit and watch the upper parts of Illuminations from Epcot (much of the show is lower level pyrotechnics, but many do go over the tops of the Boardwalk Inn and are quite visible).
• Visit Jellyroll's (a dueling piano bar featuring sing-a-longs to pop tunes). There is a cover charge of about $10 per person cover charge – and everyone must be 21 or over to enter.
• Check out Atlantic Dance Hall, which has dancing, usually with no cover charge. Everyone must be 21 or over to enter.

If you drive to the Boardwalk, you can get a FREE 3-hour parking permit from the lot attendant.  If you are staying on Disney property, you can use Disney transportation to get to the BoardWalk – either by bus or by boat.  By bus you will need to get there from one of the theme parks, water parks or Downtown Disney – as there are no resort to resort buses.  So if you are going straight from your resort – hop on any theme park bus and then transfer  over to a Boardwalk bus.  By boat, you can get there from either Disney Hollywood Studios or Epcot’s International Gateway (you could walk from either of these locations in a short amount of time).

Tips on Thursday - Cruising with Kids

Week after week your days are filled with work and school days. Family time is limited to being together for dinner, if that, and the calendar never seems to stop being filled up with some sort of “must-do” activity.  Are you tired of this typical routine, shuttling the kids around to this activity and the next, all while you yourself are off to this club or board meeting, volunteer activities and so much more?  You want a vacation, but the thought of a “family destination” that will only keep you in long boring lines of cranky tourists, waiting to board a 3 minute-or-less attraction only makes you cringe. Then it’s time to make a change in your vacation thinking.

Why not make the whole family happy, from the kids to the grandparents? It’s time to look at cruising – not only is it the best vacation value around, but everyone in the family has a great time. Cruise lines know that kids need to be occupied, and they also know that parents need a break. So how can one vacation accomplish both needs?

The new megaships are built for families in mind. Parents can sit by the pool while their kids are enjoying the water slides and fun activities, and the best part is there is no extra charge for the fun. If your kids are more adventurous, why not check out the many other activities available onboard. How about rock climbing, surfing, zip lining, basketball, putt-putt golf, bungee jumping, ice skating, game rooms, bowling and more! Yes, you can do all these activities on a ship!

But wait, there’s more! Are you looking for a few hours to chill by the pool, get a massage or simply want to take a spin class? While you do that, your children will be occupied with learning and enriching activities. There is a program for children of all ages. Examples of some of the fun in store at the kids’ camps include:

• Toddlers (ages 2-5) – splash pool, fun family games, cartoon time, toys, learn your colors, counting games, sponge painting, indoor beach parties, pizza pig out, drawing contests, sing-alongs, bingo, face painting, arts and crafts, cookie decorating

• Juniors (ages 6-8) – talent show, face painting, cartoon time, indoor fair, sea animals, trivia, ice cream sundaes, cookie decorating, button making, puppet show, beach party, outdoor fun and games

• Intermediate (ages 9-12) – t-shirt painting, photography, jewelry making, board games, dance class, video game tournament, ping pong, talent show, volleyball, show time, scavenger hunts, meet the entertainers back stage, breakfast fun

• Teens (ages 13-15) – ping pong, pool party, teen dance, dance class, talent show, pizza party, indoor beach party, skin care and hair-dressing demonstration, photography

There are plenty of cruise lines that provide the right experiences and environment where the kids are more than welcome aboard, with exciting destinations in 3, 4, 5, 7 night or more itineraries. Just to name a few, check out Royal Caribbean, Carnival and Norwegian and of course Disney to see all of the great family-friendly activities.

Cruising is not just for adults anymore – it’s the vacation where EVERYONE gets to have fun.  

Tips on Thursday - Top 10 Reasons to Take a Cruise

Stopher's Top 10 Reasons Why You Ought to Take a Cruise for Your Next Vacation

1. Choose to cruise for VALUE. One price buys your cabin, dining, entertainment and more.
2. Choose to cruise for ROMANCE. Secluded beaches, en suite dining on a balcony overlooking the ocean and spa services for two are just some of the romantic pursuits available.
3. Choose to cruise for CUISINE. Tantalize your taste buds with gourmet fare that showcases exotic ingredients, old standbys like pizza and ice cream or spa cuisine for a healthy alternative. Depending on your mood, dine in a traditional ballroom setting, a small bistro or a casual eatery.
4. Choose to cruise for VARIETY. With over 200 distinctive ships, 3000 ports-of-call and an unbelievable array of places to see and things to do, there is a perfect cruise for you. For even more choice, consider a pre- or post-land tour.
5. Choose to cruise for ACTIVITIES. Fill your days with sightseeing, sports activities, cultural lectures, educational tours led by naturalists and historians or simply lounge by the pool and relax. At night, enjoy dance extravaganzas, musical revues, gaming or a quiet evening gazing at the stars.
6. Choose to cruise for SIMPLICITY. Don't come back from your vacation needing a vacation. Planning a cruise is simple; your CLIA-affiliated travel agency can handle all of the details. Once you're on board, nearly all expenses are pre-paid... talk about hassle-free.
7. Choose to cruise for NEW HORIZONS. Fall asleep in one destination and awake to a new horizon... and you only have to pack and unpack once!
8. Choose to cruise for FAMILY. Families love cruising. Children's programs, kid-friendly menus and tours of the ship will keep your children happy, while affording you some time alone.
9. Choose to cruise for PAMPERING. Regardless of your budget, all cruise lines pamper their guests with first-class service around the clock.
10. Choose to cruise for SATISFACTION. It's a fact that cruises have a higher percentage of satisfied customers than any other vacation experience.

Friday Family Fun - Miniature Golf: Fantasia Gardens

When looking for fun things to do with the family at Walt Disney World, beyond going to one of the theme parks, why not think golf?... mini-golf, that is.  The resort boasts two fun, ultra-themed miniature golf courses: Fantasia Gardens, located across the street from the Walt Disney World Swan and Walt Disney World Dolphin resorts; and Winter Summerland, located adjacent to Disney's Blizzard Beach Water Park, in the area of the Animal Kingdom Resorts.  Both offer a fun-filled time, at a relatively low cost. Oftentimes, depending on your resort package, guests might even be given a discount.  Annual Passholders also can get a discount.

Disney's Fantasia Gardens features two courses, both themed to Walt Disney's animated classic film, "Fantasia":  "The Hippo-est Golf Around," and Fantasia Fairways, "A Miniature Golfing Adventure."   Fantasia Gardens features pirouetting gators, tutu-clad hippos and dancing water fountains.  Fantasia Fairways is more of a putting course designed around skill than chance;  holes include "Ave Maria", "Rite of Spring", "Ostrich Island" and "Ballet of the Bunkers."  

Getting to Fantasia Gardens is not very complicated, though at first blush you might think so, especially if you haven't gone there before. If staying at an Epcot area resort, simply walk over to the Swan and Dolphin via the Crescent Lake bridge, and then cross the street.  If not at an Epcot area resort, you'll need to take a bus to one of those resorts (depending on where you are at at the time), or you can go to Disney's Hollywood Studios and then take a boat up to the Swan and Dolphin. It's a great way to spend an evening (followed by time along the Boardwalk!), or part of an afternoon.  So far we've only done the Fantasia Gardens course, but hope to try the Fantasia Fairways in the future.  

Tuesday Trivia - Pioneer Hall

Pioneer Hall at Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground, the home of the ever popular "Hoop-Dee-Doo Musical Revue" was constructed using 1,283 hand-fitted logs, shipped by rail, from Montana. 

It’s Not Your Grandmother’s Cruise Anymore!

Cruising has come a long way since the “Love Boat” days. The regimented schedule a passenger followed left much to be desired. In today’s cruising, the choices are endless!

The Evolution of Dining

In the past, passengers had two choices to dine – early seating at around 6:00 pm or late seating at about 8:00 pm. And if you didn’t book early enough, most likely you could not get the choice you wanted. Can you imagine going on vacation and being told when to eat? Well, not on today’s cruise ships! Sure, if you want traditional dining it is available, but today there are a multitude of options to choose from. Most cruise ships even have specialty restaurants with a nominal cover charge averaging $20 per person; this dining experience equates to any five-star, land-based restaurant that costs hundreds of dollars to dine at per couple. Then there’s Lido dining – more like a smorgasbord for anytime casual or buffet dining. Royal Caribbean ships even have hangouts like Johnny Rockets – the famous hamburger joint. Norwegian Cruise Line touts “Freestyle Dining” where you have upwards of 17 different restaurants to choose from, and you can dine anytime and with whomever you want. Dining on today’s cruise ships is a phenomenal experience.

Top-Notch Entertainment

On the cruises of yesteryear, you could take in an early show or a late show, depending on your dining time. Year after year, the variety show lived on. Now fast forward to today – Royal Caribbean has shows like the Broadway hit “Hairspray”, and they built an AquaTheater on their newer ships where a full aquatic show is performed with high divers and synchronized swimmers. Comedy and jazz clubs are also in full swing such as Fat Cats on NCL’s Epic. Love Karaoke? There’s always a lounge onboard where you can sing to your heart’s content each night. NCL’s Epic also features the famous “Blue Man Group”, a Cirque dinner show, and “Legends in Concert”. Want to bowl or play a supersized Wii? Just jump on an NCL ship and the family is sure to have fun.

Days at Sea are Never Boring

During days at sea, gone are the beer drinking and men’s hairy chest contests! They have been replaced on Royal Caribbean ships with FlowRider, a surfing simulator, or hang loose during your ride on the zip line. Want to play putt-putt golf, basketball, ping pong, or climb a rock wall – it’s all happening onboard. Celebrity Cruises has glass blowing at sea: watch a Corning Museum of Glass gaffer present a live demonstration on glass blowing, or play a game of bocce on their beautifully manicured lawn on the top deck. Carnival’s fun is by the pool at Waterworks; take a plunge down their 104-foot-long slide. It’s a real rush!

Wine tastings, cooking demonstrations, lectures, computer classes, spa treatments, and state-of-the-art workout facilities can also keep you busy during your days at sea. Or grab a book from the library and enjoy sitting by the pool, relaxing while the ship takes you to your next exciting port of call.

Accommodations

Interior and ocean view cabins were the typical choices in years past, and if you were one of the lucky few to enjoy a balcony, you paid a huge premium. Most new ships now offer primarily balcony cabins – and even some inside staterooms now have views overlooking promenades with natural lighting. And the cruise lines continue to be innovative. Now on the new Royal Caribbean ships, Loft cabins are available, featuring two-story, floor-to-ceiling windows, two bathrooms, a living room, and a second-floor master bedroom. Private villa guests aboard NCL’s Epic have exclusive access to their own pool, lounges, and restaurant; it’s a ship within a ship.

If you haven’t cruised in a while or just thought cruising was for old people, think again! For more information and to reserve your next cruise vacation, contact me at 317.776.1733 or simply visit my website.

Wordless Wednesday - On the Way Back to Shore from the USS Arizona Memorial, Pearl Harbor

Aulani – How “Disney” Is It?

Much has been said and written online over the years about Disney’s “off-site” resorts in Vero Beach and Hilton Head Island, and how they aren’t “Disney enough”; especially considering the fact that neither are close to any Disney theme park – at least not close when you compare them to the resorts at Walt Disney World or Disneyland.  Disney’s Vero Beach Resort is two hours +/- from Walt Disney World, and of course Disney’s Hilton Head Island Resort is two states away from Walt Disney World.  Though both resorts do have rooms for rent to anyone who’d like to pay to stay, both were built as Disney Vacation Club (DVC) properties, with the majority of the resorts held for use by DVC members. Given the length of time they took to “sell out” to DVC members, many in the online Disney community (especially on a certain DVC related board that I read and frequent often), consider both Vero Beach and Hilton Head to be virtual failures.  It’s no wonder it took Disney nearly 12 years to first announce another off-site resort.

When Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa was first announced, the blogosphere began lighting up with questions about the viability of such a resort – especially being in Hawaii, a mere ocean away from any Disney theme park.  Would the fact that it would be a combined traditional hotel / DVC resort give it better chances than the original two off-site resorts? What kinds of things would need to be done in order to provide guests with an authentic “Disney” experience, given the nearest Disney theme park is roughly 4,000 miles away – across an ocean, not just mere states this time. 

Among the many questions that I would often read online – questions such as:

• “Oahu is not our favorite island in Hawaii… is there enough to do to support a week’s stay at Aulani?”
• “How can Disney NOT repeat past mistakes made at Vero Beach & Hilton Head?”
• “How ‘Disney’ will it really be?”
• “Ko Olina is so far from Waikiki – will people really want to stay so far away?”

As the grand opening got closer last summer, the PR machine of Disney got into overdrive in order to make sure people would be aware of answers to each of these questions, or at least give enough of a teaser-type response that would encourage further research for the potential guest to figure it out for themselves, ensuring that they would indeed want to make a trek to the leeward side of the island of Oahu – and stay for a while.

In preparation for my own stay at Aulani this week, I reviewed a lot of information both online, and in the various travel resources that are available to me directly from Disney.  I was both excited and curious to see the “Disney touches” for myself.   And after having been here for a couple of days already, I will happily report that the resort is “Disney” enough.  It is not overbearing to the point of basically hitting you over the head with its’ “Disney-ness”, but it is filled with charming details like you will find at any other Disney resort at both Walt Disney World and Disneyland.  Over the next few days / week, I plan to take each of the questions listed above and provide some straight forward, honest replies.  I will of course sprinkle opinions in here as well, but hopefully the information given will provide you the reader, the opportunity to make a better informed decision as to not IF you would like to visit Aulani – but WHEN. 

Just what kind of details, you ask, I’m sure… well, here are but a few that I both a) had previous knowledge to, and b) discovered for myself as a guest. These are in no particular order, and are both a and b responses intermingled together:

• Character Dining – yes, there is a character Breakfast at Makahiki on the first floor of the resort.  It is currently offered Wednesday, Saturday & Sunday mornings.  Whether or not it is expanded to additional mornings remains to be seen, but so far, this has been a popular offering at Aulani.
• Character Meet & Greets – they are available here.  I’ve personally seen Mickey, Minnie, & Goofy, and have been told that Chip & Dale, and even Lilo & Stitch are here.  Others may make appearances from time to time as well, according to various Cast Members with whom I spoke during my stay.
• Disney’s PhotoPass – yep, it’s available here for those guests wishing to capture their favorite memories, and of course they are at the ready during those character interactions.
• Hidden Mickeys – like any other resort, these abound throughout Aulani, though many of them have a bit of a stylized, Hawaiian flare to them.  There are many of the traditional 3 circle heads to be found, but many others as well that say Mickey in a more subdued manner.
• Mickey Premium Bars – yep, you can get your Premium Bar fix while here.  These delicious treats are available at Kalepa’s Store on the third floor (Lobby level). My personal favorite - Itzakadoozie - is available at Aulani too!  Yummy! 
• Refillable Resort Mugs – yep, they have those here as well, with three different refill stations.
• Pool-side fun – for those of you who love to spend time at the pools at Walt Disney World, and are very accustomed to the games, dance contests and the like that the lifeguards put on – those are here too!
• Music – like so many Disney attractions, movies, theme parks and yes, resorts – Aulani is filled with distinctive music to help set the tone for the entire experience.  In the lobby, hallways, restaurants, and even outside in the Waikolohe Valley water play complex – music plays an integral part of the story unfolding before the guest throughout the resort.  Whether it is simply background enhancements, or live performances on various stages throughout the resort, music comes alive throughout the day and night at Aulani, helping to fully immerse the guests into the environment of the resort.
• Night-time Movies – these aren’t shown poolside here at Aulani – but they do have them, at least 3 times per week.
• Night-time Storytelling & Campfires – just like you might find at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge, Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground and other resorts – they have those here as well.
• Theming – Disney is very well known for its immersive environments and thematic elements in both theme parks and resorts.  Each successive resort designed and built in the past couple of decades have really underscored this reality, as the imagineers continue to surround guests with a near total immersive quality.  Personally I believe that Disney’s Wilderness Lodge and Disney’s Animal Kingdom Lodge at Walt Disney World, and Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel at Disneyland accomplish this feat in remarkable ways.  Aulani takes the lessons learned from those resorts and goes even further.  The imagineers delivered a resort hotel that is rich in thematic elements that not only play tribute to the Hawaiian culture, but rather completely embrace it.  Aulani is not just another sterile, white, box-like hotel lining the beaches of Waikiki – but rather plays tribute to so many aspects of native Hawaiian culture. 
• Hidden Details – one of the really fun details that I discovered while here, are some of the many hidden details.  I’d heard a lot about all of the hidden Menehune scattered around the resort, which play to the Hawaiian folklore, but I didn’t know that just as there are carved animals all over the “Tree of Life” at Disney’s Animal Kingdom Theme Park – there are hidden carved animals all throughout the Waikolohe Stream (the lazy river).   Creatures great and small common to the Hawaiian Islands and Pacific Ocean can be found in the rockwork all around the stream.  You’ll definitely want to search them out while enjoying the quiet, relaxing, fun of this lazy river, which in my mind, is nearly as fun and enjoyable as the lazy rivers at both Disney’s Typhoon Lagoon and Disney’s Blizzard Beach water parks.
• Excellent Children’s Programming – available through Aunty’s Beach House, there is just a plethora of activities for the little ones to the bigger ones, and not just via the paid childcare program either.  From scavenger hunts, to animal husbandry activities to parties with Chip & Dale – Disney has once again placed great emphasis on making sure the younger set has exciting, fun-filled things to do while mom & dad enjoy some couple time – or things to do with mom & dad as a family. 
• Activities for Tweens & Teens – Disney also provides an abundance of activities, events, and fun for the older kids as well. 
• Excurisions – since there are no theme parks to hop on a bus and visit – Disney has teamed up with Adventures by Disney to create some very enjoyable, unique and fun-filled day excursions (just as if you were on a cruise vacation stopping in port for the day) to other parts of Oahu, or even to other islands within Hawaii.  Each week there are day-specific excursions, such as horseback riding at Kualoa Ranch, or the Manoa Valley Rainforest Hike, or the Honolulu Academy of Arts/Bishop Museum experience.  These are but a few of the numerous offerings available.   Or you could simply create your own excursions – to places like Diamond Head, or the Dole Plantation (and get a Dole Whip!), the North Shore, Pearl Harbor, Waikiki, and so many more – the opportunities abound.

So, in a nutshell, is Aulani “Disney” enough?  My response to that question is a resounding YES.  There are plenty of Disney touches throughout the resort, giving each guest that Disney “fix”.  For a beach vacation that gives guests both the opportunity to simply relax and enjoy the beach – while still providing ample opportunities to get out, explore and play - I would recommend Aulani, a Disney Resort & Spa in a heartbeat.  It's Disney "enough" for me!