The Best Time to Go to Magic Kingdom

In this month of July, the brilliant minds at Disney World have kept the park open up until midnight every Tuesday. Check their calendar. This is great!

Imagine...driving to the parking lot. No parking fee. Drive right up to the front and get a spot so close that you don't even need the tram to get to the transportation center!

Once the monorail is bringing you closer to the lit up castle in the distance, you start to get goosebumps. The mood at night is truly spectacular. The lights are glimmering. The breeze is cool. There isn't a rushing to get it all done among the crowd. You might think that the "cast members" are tired and grump, but only Grumpy is grumpy. The whole atmosphere is magical.

Then, there are the lines...or the lack of lines. I don't arrive until after 9:00 pm, yet I walk up and onto all the rides I want.

Last Tuesday, we came just before the fireworks at 10:00 pm. I don't waste my time sitting around Mainstreet to watch them burst over the castle. You can view them from all over the park as you're walking to the next ride.

We rode Aladdin, Pirates, then Small World, Peter Pan (that was the only wait of 23 minutes), Snow White, Winnie-the-Pooh, saw the great 3-D movie PhilharMagic, Dumbo, Tea Cups, and Roadway within those two hours. That was ten rides! Amazing! With only one wait line!

One thing to remember is not to look in ANY shops on Mainstreet when you arrive. That area stays open after the other areas have closed. Keep moving through it to the ride you most want to see.

What about cranky kids? OK, you have calculate it out right. Nap late; around 3:00 or 4:00 in the afternoon. Wake up and eat dinner then go around 9:00. Don't go earlier than that. Two hours at the park is plenty. Remember, if you get there too early, you'll be fighting the larger crowds that are in the park until 10:00. It's only after the fireworks that it starts to clear out.

And while I've said that the fireworks aren't anything to hang out for, I would highly recommend SpectroMagic. This light parade is great. The weird thing is that it loses its magic if you are standing too close. You actually want to be a few steps back from the street, which works out well, with all of the die-hard Disney-ites plunking down on the curbs in anticipation. Truly, you enjoy Disney best when you don't try to wring happiness out of the experience.

Magic Kingdom! Ahhhh...I'm in love all over again!

Staying Cool in Florida's Weather

I think I suffered from heat exhaustion on Saturday while at Universal Studios. It was a great day, but it was hot.

There are two times to enjoy Florida's theme parks: the morning and the evening.

Really, if you arrive at the parks right at opening, then you are guaranteed a breezy beginning. Most tourists are tired out from the day before and can't get up and get going to take advantage of this time.

The other time is after 7:00 pm. The sun is going down and the air is starting to cool. Walking around becomes refreshing instead of depressing.

How can you take advantage of both times? Take a siesta, as they do in most hot weather climes. The only way you can do that is to stay close enough to the parks so that driving isn't an issue. So, you would eat breakfast, go to the park, eat a snack (that you brought in), have a drink (in addition to the water bottle you brought), leave around 1:30/2:00, be back resting by 3:00, get up in a couple of hours, have dinner and leave for the park around 6:00. This way you avoid the energy-zapping hottest hours of the day.

Even if you try to avoid the highest heat, you should be prepared for sweating. Of course you need deodorant, but you also can try some baby powder. Sprinkle baby powder any place that gets irritated: under bra line, waist line, upper thighs, etc.

Wear light clothes. I mean this both ways: don't wear dark colors (which do absorb so much heat) and wear fabric that is airy and allows your skin to breathe. This outfit is a good example and comes from http://www.coldwatercreek.com/ :

How can you chose the right fabrics to wear? Breathable means natural like cotton and linen. The worst fabric choices would be rayon or polyester.

Then, think to yourself which garments you own dry easily. You know that cotton knit ribbed T-shirt? The one is so heavy when wet and takes forever to dry? That shirt is the wrong choice. While it is short-sleeved, it isn't going to keep you cool. Choose something that is so light weight it is almost dry after the spin cycle.

For pants, everyone and their cousin wants to wear jeans in America, but it truly isn't the best choice for Florida's unforgiving heat. I was wearing mine on Saturday, and I think it contributed to the problem of getting overheated. It's better to wear thinner pants or shorts.

I would not recommend dressing skimpy, however. Covering your skin loosely with natural fabrics, even long sleeves and long pants has the benefit of protecting from the ultra-violet rays.

Whatever you don't cover with clothing, you really have to cover with suntan lotion. Be sure to get nose and cheeks, tops of ears, neckline (where your shirt moves around a lot), shoulders, forearms, tops of legs (from sitting down in the sun), and finally tops of feet (where sandals don't cover).

Do have sunglasses and a hat or be prepared for a headache. If you can't get little ones to wear a hat, see if they will put up with a tied bandanna.

Bandannas, by the way, are the best thing to pop in a diaper bag. They can be a hat, a bib, a washcloth, a handkerchief, and even (in a sad, sad, moment) a diaper.

OK, what if you end up suffering from heat exhaustion like I did? If you find yourself dazed and confused and sweating bullets, the best thing to do is to get into the bathroom. Go for the handicap accessible bathroom, shut the door and cool down at the sink. Splash water on your face, neck, arms. Stand there until you start to feel better.

When you leave the bathroom, go straight for a sports drink. Pay the $3.00 for a Powerade. Drink it inside some air-conditioning. Stay there a good 15 minutes. Sip it little by little, as it will get absorbed better than if you gulp it. Even when you feel better, you should leave the park. You'll need to rest and keep hydrating yourself.

Obviously, no one likes to spend a small fortune to enter a park and then leave early. That's why I'm giving you so much advice on how to avoid that situation. However, if you or someone in your family does need to get some relief from the heat, it's better to leave sooner than later. Be careful with your heath while touring. Nothing ruins a holiday faster than feeling badly and when it's Florida, then the sun can be the quick culprit.

EPCOT Field Trip

Teaching school in Orlando has its advantages; especially when chosing where to go for a field trip. Middle schoolers might beg to go to Universal Studios, but will settle for EPCOT. You can arrange field trips through Disney, but if you are a true teacher, you can create your own.

The focus on the field trip was to be, "World Literature." A week before the trip, I assigned a paper for each of my ten students. There are ten foreign countries, in addition to America. For more students, a teacher could assign countries to groups.

Here is what they had to research on the internet:

Name of Country:

How much is a plane ticket from Orlando to your country? How much travel time is necessary?

Name three things (sights, food, music, clothing, etc.) that your country is famous for:

What is the predominant language of your country?

Write down a phrase and its meaning, from that language, which you can learn how to say and share with all of us:

Name a famous writer from your country and then find a quote from one of their books:

Name a famous poet from your country and include a short excerpt from one of their poems:

Name a famous playwright from your country and include a line from one of their plays:

The students had to turn in the assignment AND receive a passing grade for it, in order to go on the field trip. For those who did a lack luster job, they had to revise their answers and hand it in again.

We arrived at school at 8:00, and left school at 8:30, thus arriving at the park at 9:00. Though our goal was to go around the World Showcases, those don't open until 11:00, so we had two hours to see some other attractions.

I insisted we start with Spaceship Earth. The problem with that was the kids' excitement level was sky high, and they weren't very quiet on the ride. I fixed that with a cell phone call.

What I had done was get everyone to bring their cell phone and I had their numbers programmed into mine. All their names were entered with the letter "Z" before their name so it was easy to scroll quickly.

Even though the boys were loud in the car ahead of me, while going through ancient Greece, I could call the biggest offender and tell him to can it.

Afterward, I talked with the group. I reminded them to be quiet enough on the rides. I also "quizzed" them on which era throughout history they most wish they could visit.

From there, we headed to Test Track, which was the class favorite.

If I had to do it again, I should have run over to Soarin', which always has incrementally long wait lines with each minute. It's more mellow than the zooming action of Test Track and a better lead up.

They begged me for Mission Space, but I denied that. There are two levels of the ride and on the more intense level, two people with heart problems have died. I am not one for taking unnecessary risks with other people's children.

We did go through Journey into Imagination, for which is never a wait line, but we did that after Test Track, and it wasn't a good enough finish for our time before World Showcase portion. So, in a 20/20 hindsight moment, I should have done Soarin', Journey into Imagination, Test Track, and then Spaceship Earth before the 11:00 opening of the pavillions.

With all the walking around, we headed over to one of the best kept secrets of EPCOT: Club Cool.

This is behind the smallest circular founation by the Character meeting point. It is sponsored by Coke, but the free (FREE!) samples of soda pop are global and perfect for our field trip's focus. You get to fill Dixie cups with as much ice-cold sugary goodness as you desire and it's fun to compare notes. Oh, and we all hated the pop, "Beverly," from Italy.

Then, we headed over to Mexico.

Most people go through the showcases starting with Canada, so it's best to go the opposite way. It's good to start with a country that has a ride, as well, as Mexico does. After hearing the speech, and while waiting for our "Gran Fiesta" boat ride, kids had to tell me one Spanish word in order to go on board.

Part of the money collected for the trip was a $100 fund for us to buy a $10 food sample at every country. That $10 got paid to the person who gave the speech (and that is something I kept a secret until we were there), who then had to make the food choice for everyone. In Mexico, for example, we bought four long churros, at $2.50 each, and divided them into thirds, which was plenty.

The moment of buying the food gives the kids a chance to actually interact with the people from the country and to try out some language and ask some questions. It was a great reinforcer to everything we had just done.

After Mexico, there is Norway.

The best place for the speech was inside the church replica. I always tried to find a quiet air-conditioned building, or at least a spot of shade. We then went on the Maelstrom ride and viewed the movie on Norway. We visited the enormous troll in the gift shop (which you have to exit through anyway) and bought cookies.

In China, we heard our talk in the large circular building.

It was right before hearing some music and seeing the clay soldiers. We would have stayed to see the movie on China, but I decided against when it was a 12 minute wait. You really have to have stay fluid and keep it going. We bought ginger ice cream, which most of the kids didn't like, but I loved.

In Germany, there really isn't very much to see or do. We heard the speech in the candy store and bought candy to share. The worker dispelled the "Guten Dag" and "Aufwierdersen" notions by telling us that every younger person in Germany says, "Hi," and "Bye." We did walk through the store and talk about toys, beer, cuckoo clocks and soccer

Italy was next and maybe the biggest disappointment. We had missed the street performers and there was nothing to see or do. After the speech, we couldn't even buy food there. There was only one sit-down restaurant which was too expensive. I understand that a pizza place is coming (duh! what were they thinking not to put one in before now?) but all we could buy was a bag of crackers in the wine shop, and we declined. Also, two of the Italian workers decided to hug and kiss behind the counter of the shop, much to the embarrassment of our group. We didn't buy any food there, but used the money from Italy towards our food in America.

In America, we did hear the Revoluntionary War bugle corps play some songs. We didn't see the American Experience Show. We needed to sit in air-conditioning and went inside to the eating area, after buying two turkey legs to share. They were about $6.25.

We moved on to Japan.

Japan had a storyteller, which was only ok. We missed the drummers (this photo is from a previous trip), which I find more interesting. We heard the speech in the garden area, under a tree. The money was kept in order to buy a drink in the next country.

Morroco was next.

I love this pavillion. It is the only country which has actual buildings and not simply facades. We looked into the cutural museum and heard the speech right next to it, in the center courtyard. We looked into the fancy restaurant, but got our slushie drinks in the fast-serve restaurant.

Each student had to find someone else who could share one of the flavors with them: tangerine, strawberry, or pina colada. I loved the tangerine. The slushies at expensive at $6, but do-able at half that.

France had a mime/juggler, of whose act we only saw a bit. The speech was given by the fountain, which was a poor choice, as it was too loud there. Not sure where a better spot would have been. We were tired by now, so we didn't even try to buy a thing. Oh, well.

The U.K. was next. We saw Mary Poppins. The speech was given in the courtyard. We AGAIN didn't buy anything, but thought about fish and chips. In hind

Canada was the last country and we were wiped. We asked if we could go inside one of the shops to give the speech, as it was so hot. We opted out of the movie. And for the third time, my perfect plan to spend our money in each country was abandoned (we'll use the money in an end of the year party).

And then it was time to GO! There was not one kid with energy left. You know what they say EPCOT stands for; Every Person Comes Out Tired. I hear everyone went to bed early. One boy didn't come to school the next day, and I think he had gotten dehydrated from not bringing a water bottle (as you can led a child to water, but you can't make them drink).

All in all, I do think it was a success. This could be duplicated for another class, or even for a family that wants to get the most educational experience they can from EPCOT.

Medieval Times in Kissimmee

Wondering what actually happens inside the castle on 192?



Wonder no more!

This is good family entertainment. Kids will love it and parents will enjoy the evening.

Having said that, while this review is positive overall, let me now tell you some of the negatives.

The ticketing process at the beginning is tediously long. One problem with being a Disney visitor is that you get spoiled by their proficiency. When you go anywhere else, you become more impatient at inefficiency.

Prices, by the way, are steep. $60 gets you in the door as an adult. Check the website for special deals as they offer $10 off on occasion. Kids 12 and under pay $35, but again check for deals as they can offer a free child with paying adult.

This was right before the 8:00 pm start time. I had missed the earlier show at 6:00 pm. The audience for that show was just filing out and it was lots of happy, energized people. Happiest of all seemed to be little boys with wooden swords.

Where did they get those swords? Well, that's what I was going to find out.

The large holding room for those waiting to be allowed admittance was really a big, noisy market for a captive crowd. So, this is the big negative that, while it didn't ruin the experience, did diminish it. The tiled room with wooden ceiling just reverberates with every vocalization which is particularly annoying for small children, who are more sensitive.

My advice is to avoid going in right away. Stay outside and visit the village.

I've already written at some length about The Medieval Village . It is often overlooked by the patrons of the dinner show entertainment. I think this might be because the village is more high-brow than most of the visitors seem to need.

If you do chose to enter in the castle and wait, then head into the Wine Cellar which is more quiet. You can find cushy booths, the bathrooms, and a water fountain.

What about drinks? A small non-alcoholic slushy, found at any 7-11 for a buck, is $5.00. 'Tis the royal rip-off, me lads! I mean, I expect to pay more at one of this tourist venues, but there's a moment when you just can't stomach the absurdity.

Now, remember, this is all my initial moments, waiting until the real evening's entertainment starts. It was unpleasant and even confusing, as I wondered about the yellow cards Iwas holding in my hand. The ticketing agent didn't really explain the process. I had to ask a bartender. He said that we would be called in by colors soon.

The whole audience is divided into colored sections which correspond to a knight's crest. The tournament takes on an element of a wrestling show, as you cheer and boo fake fighting in a tournament.

Finally, upon the trumpet's blare were we ushered in. That is when we could settle in and the fun began.

The script of the show is more or less superfluous; meaning, you really don't care what's being said.

It mostly sounds like:

blah blah blah My Lord blah blah blah sword blah blah blah steed blah blah blah

It doesn't really matter. The great part of the show is watching some fights and some horse show tricks. There's even a falcon in flight! Visually, the show is really good, so if you can't understand the Medieval mumbo-jumbo, it's alright.

There are a number of videos on youtube that show you exactly what goes on.

The food? Remember, this is a dinner show.

To start, no water is given, unless you request. Your choices are Pepsi or beer.

There is then the choice for a meaty meal:

Garlic Bread

Tomato Bisque Soup

Roasted Chicken

Pork Spare Rib

Herb-Basted Potato

Pastry

Beverages

or a vegetarian meal:

Tomato Bisque Soup

Garlic Bread

Large Portobello Mushroom Cap Stuffed with Whole Grain, Rice and Bean Blend

Large Skewer of Roasted Vegetables

Hummus with Pita Chips

Pastry

Beverages

That is a half a chicken sitting on your plate and no vegetables. If I had to do it over again, I would order one meaty meal and one vegetarian and then split them both between the two of us.

And if you're a low-sodium eater, good luck! Everything is chockful of salt. The saltiest food being the soup (I diluted it with some of the water I had requested) and then coming in second, the garlic toast (that slice isn't really bread any more).

The chicken was delicious. Absolutely no complaints on the succulent meat which fell off the bone.

If you don't eat pork, you should request a side of hummus and chips. Very tasty!

The pastry is an apple struddel stick.

Did I mention no silverware? For some that's an anomaly, but I found it refreshing and fun. Why not?

You will not leave hungry or dissatisfied from Medieval Times. Even if the beginning of the evening was a bit of a muddle, the total experience was worth recommending as a unique entertainment you will truly remember.

Medieval Times Map

Driving in Florida

Driving in Florida is a pleasure. I have battled snow and ice in the American Heartland, roundabouts in London, and Cairo's traffic jams. Truly, to be behind the wheel in Orlando is like another ride to enjoy.

There are some things to keep in mind:

"Click it or ticket." You must wear a seat belt at all times under Florida law.

Children age 3 years and younger must be in a child safety seat.

Florida is wet. If you head out early, you'll usually find condensation on windows. It's best to have the glass clear before moving out of your parking space. Spending many days or weeks in Florida? Purchase an inexpensive squeegee and place it in the glove compartment for those misty mornings.

You'll then have to turn the air to hot and hit the defrost button (making sure that the air indicator is showing the straight arrow for fresh air, as opposed to re-circulating air). The windows should clear soon.

For rain, if you are using your wipers, then you must also turn on your low beams.

When it rains, you have to be careful on the road, as oil builds up and makes the asphalt extremely slippery.

Have a stack of quarters at the ready to pay for tolls. While not every road necessitates coinage, you have to be prepared. If you have exact change, it's better, as you can go through a lane and throw the coins out the window. Usually, you are going to need between 75 cents to $1.50. Coming from the airport, this is a guarantee, whichever road you take. Wondering which other roads have tolls? Here is the link.

Turning right on red is allowed, unless posted.

Thieves target drivers so ...

Keep your doors locked while driving.

While driving, if you are bumped from behind or flashed by headlights, or see someone who indicates he or she needs help, do not stop. Drive to the nearest, well-lighted public area and call 911.

Sometimes men will be approaching cars at the intersection while you are at a traffic light. They might have a hard luck story or outright asking for money. Do not roll down your window to talk with them.

While getting gas at the station, make sure to remove your keys. Car thieves in Florida have actually jumped in and driven off while you are standing right there with the hose!

If you are placing bags or packages in the trunk, do so before you drive off for your next destination. This is especially true at tourist spots where thieves are actually watching the parking lots.

Always take your parking ticket with you. Leaving it in the car allows a thief to exit the parking lot.

Lastly, it's best to be prepared by knowing where you are going first. Getting lost on the road can ruin a vacation with frustration and delays. It can even be dangerous as you stop concentrating on your driving to try to figure out where you are. Also, some parts of town are better to find yourself in than others.

Go to www.mapquest.com or http://maps.google.com to plot out where you're going and get the most out of your Florida vacation.

Best Drinks in Florida

Florida is warming up, which means I'm usually in search of a good drink after work.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm fun-loving enough without alcohol. I abstain from the stuff. You can find wine and beer at most restaurants and grocery stores.

I'm talking about the real pleasure in life: a cool down with a tall glass.

Here are my Florida favorites, thus far:

Dairy Queen's Limon-Lime Mr. Misty Freeze

Flavored ice with soft-serve whipped up into the true meaning of refreshment. Ask for it, even if you don't see it on the menu.

Dairy Queen Map

Pollo Tropical's Pina Colada Creme Smoothie $2.99

Sure, you could cut calories and order it without the creme for 50 cents less, but it doesn't taste the same. This concoction is all of nature's best flavors in one glass.

Pollo Tropical Map

A&W's Orange Freeze

I love the flavor of a dreamscicle; it's orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream perfectly blended. If you want nostalgia, drive up and wait for the "car-hop" to come take your order. For me, I'd rather do drive-thru.

A&W Map

7-11's Slurpee

Wow! What a surprise to find so many flavors! It used to be just Coke and Wild Cherry! Now, there's been a taste explosion at the Slurpee machine! You can find tangerine and pina colada along with the usual suspects. It's the best deal for a crowd. Buy a couple of huge cups and satisfy your family for cheap.

7-11 Map

Wyler's Italian Ice found at Walgreen's and CVS

This is not your old icee. They really DO taste like Italian ice! These plastic tubes of flavoring come in Orange Creme, Watermelon-Kiwi, Raspberry, Lemon and Lime. You have to freeze them, then seperate them. Best part? You get eight for a dollar. CHEAP-O! And only 60 calories with NO FAT!

Walgreen's Map

CVS Map

Downtown Orlando and Lake Eola

There is absolutely no reason to stay in an Orlando hotel, unless you're there on a convention.

Did you know that you're actually closer to Walt Disney World when you're staying in Kissimmee than in downtown Orlando?

Disney World isn't located in Orlando or Kissimmee, but in Lake Buena Vista .

So, while you do fly into Orlando, you should head west to the sights.

You never really feel that you're crossing city boundaries as you travel the roads and highways. What you do feel is that some places are more conducive to a vacation than others.

Downtown Orlando is simply not a good place to stay.

However, it is a good place to visit, especially on Sundays.

There used to be an entertainment complex, located downtown Orlando, called Church Street Station, but it went under. A plan to revitalize the area is in the works.

Located under the bridges, near the complex, were booths and vendors every Sunday, but they recently re-located.

The new location for Sunday's street fair is at Lake Eola.

This spot is truly the best that downtown Orlando has to offer:

You get the beautiful scenery.

There's the well-equipped playground.

If you visit the street fair, you can purchase yummy food and drinks, such as English meat pies, Jamaican curries, and Turkish baklava.

A passable folk singer strums his guitar in the center courtyard.

There's a ritzy-looking restauranat named Spice

which I didn't investigate further (although, I did stop later at Panera --not pictured--on the Southern end of Lake Eola for some iced chai)

Then, there are the swan boats,

which can be rented for $12 an hour.

You'll be surprised at how physically taxing it is to peddle those buggers. Before heading out, set your cell phone alarm for 15 minutes. Get out a ways, then just sit and enjoy the calm. Once your alarm goes off, then start heading back.

Should you put Lake Eola on your trip itenerary?

If you have time on your hands, you like hanging out with locals, and enjoy real life moments, then by all means, go to Lake Eola on a Sunday.

Lake Eola Map