Leisure … more than a word, it's a lifestyle

7 Step Guide to a Walt Disney World Vacation

By Nigel G. Worrall

If you’re planning a Walt Disney World vacation this Summer or Fall you’ll need to start planning and preparing like no other vacation before. Walt Disney World covers 47 square miles (think twice as large as Manhattan and you’ll get the idea!) and has  so many things to do that even those of us who live here struggle to keep up with it all.

In short, here’s just  SOME of the available offerings at Walt Disney World:

• 4 major theme parks: Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Animal Kingdom and Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• 2 water parks: Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon
• Over 20 large resorts
• 5 golf courses
• 2 mini-golf courses
• Numerous lakes offering water sports, boating and fishing
• 2 dinner shows
• BoardWalk entertainment district
• DisneyQuest “virtual theme park”
• Downtown Disney shopping and dining district

So with all this choice, just where do you  begin?

1. When.

Deciding when to go will be top of your list. Much will depend on  your budget, kids’ school schedules and other factors such as what you like to do individually and as a family, will heavily influence your decision.

Tip #1: Visit Disney when the kids are in school to enjoy the quieter theme parks more.  Lines will be shorter and more comfortable

2. What.

This is a critical step in the planning. There is so much to do that you’ll want to plan out what everyone wants to see and do.

Tip #2: List the “Must Do’s” and then do a secondary list of “Maybe’s”.  Involve everyone in this process and you’ll have a more enjoyable trip.

3. How Long?

There’s never enough time to see it all, so armed with your list in #2 you can now chart out how long it will take you to visit the “Must Do’s” and how long it will take you to do the “Maybe’s.” Be warned, even if you visit for a month, you simply can’t see it all.

Tip #3: If you want to visit all four theme parks and actually experience the majority of the attractions, parades and shows, you will need at least 5 full days! (Epcot can easily take 2 days all by itself as it is split into two sections; Future World and World Showcase. You might also find you need a day and a half at Magic Kingdom to enjoy everything there is on offer.)

If you then find you would like to do some of the “extras,” like Blizzard Beach or Typhoon Lagoon water parks or a trip to DisneyQuest you will need to allow more days. If you are visiting for a first time, I believe you need at least 7 to 10 days to do all the major theme parks and sample some of the other delights.

4. Transportation.

Depending where you live you’ll need to decide whether to travel by plane or automobile. If you’re flying, do you then want to rent a vehicle so you can see other things in the Orlando area?

Tip #4: Hire a car and stay off site to save money. There are some great places to stay that will help you save way more than the cost of vehicle hire.

5.  Theme Park Tickets.

A big expense when visiting Walt Disney World is the cost of entry to the parks. It is important to look over your itinerary, get out the calculator, take a look at all the prices and available deals to  figure out which tickets make most sense for your situation.

Tip #5: There are many ticket companies offering great deals. Check each one out and don’t be tempted by the deal that seems to be too good. Go with a reputable and approved Disney ticket agency.

6. Where To Stay.

Here’s another big decision. Stay on Disney property or stay off site?  If you take the advice in Tip #4 you’ll stay off site and save $$$’s but if you are seriously considering an on site resort stay then make sure you check out all of Disney’s resorts by searching for photo’s and details on the internet. Each resort is themed differently and some are very expensive.

Tip #6 : Rent a Vacation Home.  Renting a vacation home off site makes a lot of sense for most families. A fully equipped vacation home has 3 to 7 bedrooms (enough room for all the family at one nightly rate rather than multiple rooms at a hotel), a fully equipped kitchen (prepare meals at home rather than eat in expensive restaurants), large lounge and living areas (with flat screen TV’s, DVD’s VCR’s, games machines) and your own private heated swimming pool.

You’ll not only save money but you can keep all the family together and create some great memories.

7.  Relax and Enjoy.

Don’t forget to take some time out to do absolutely nothing. The temptation with a Disney vacation is to always be on the go. It’s important to allow time to recharge your batteries and to go home refreshed.

Tip #7: Allow one rest day for every two days of theme parks.

That’s it! Everything else is “gravy.” You can make reservations for meals, book special events and do all kinds of other planning but these are the seven basic steps to enjoy a great Disney vacation. Have fun!

Perhaps it was expecting too much with so much at stake but the World Cup Final was a disappointment. Niggling foul after niggling foul left us all disappointed and referee Howard Webb a very busy man. It seemed right from the outset that neither team was going to allow the other to play and it seemed a game where one opponent had a score to settle against another. In all 14 players ended up in the book including the second yellow and red card to Dutchman Heitinga and you really couldn’t complain at any of them.

It was such a shame that a final that promised so much ultimately degenerated into a war zone and that the assaults on opponents outweighed the chances either side created.  In the end Spainish midfielder Andres Iniesta’s nerveless finish in extra time delivered the knockout blow to the Netherlands and the bruising final ended in a 1-0 win and a first World Cup triumph for the Spanish.

To be honest, there’s not much else to say. So I won’t.

Well, it all comes to an end tomorrow… the month long soccer festival known as the World Cup has its final and it promises to be a mouthwatering match as Holland take on Spain. Neither team has won the cup before so we are assured of a new winner. For Spain this is their first final while the Dutch have been here before and lost on both previous occasions.

In 1974, a fantastic Holland side lost to Germany. It was a travesty. The side was coached by Rinus Michels, who pioneered “Total Football” at Ajax Amsterdam in the late 60’s and early 70’s. Johan Cruyff was part of that side and the duo teamed up again in 74 to lead the Dutch World Cup campaign in Germany. They played some fantastic football….fantasy football in a way,  and marched on to the final. It started well for them as Wolverhampton referee Jack Taylor gave the Dutch a penalty just seconds into the game,  as Cruyff was unfairly tackled and the fabulous Neeskens converted before the Germans even had chance to touch the ball. Unfortunately the Netherlands couldn’t hold onto the lead and the Germans came back to win 2-1.

Four years later, the World Cup was held in Argentina. It was a ticker tape affair as mountains of paper floated down to the pitch before every game but it didn’t stop the Dutch marching to the final where they met the hosts. The game ended up going to extra time after Mario Kempes had given Argentina the lead in the first half and Dick Nannings equalized on the 82nd minute mark. It ended up with a 3-1 scoreline favoring Argentina after the extra 30 minutes play.

So, the Dutch will be hoping for third time lucky. Unfortunately, it seems fate is conspiring against them, as an Octopus named Paul, of all things, has predicted a Spanish win. You may mock and laugh at the idea but so far the octopus has correctly predicted 6 games on the run.

The only real issue once the final is done is…what on earth am I going to do now? I suppose a return to normal work is called for… anyone know if there’s a tiddlywinks contest going on somewhere?

We learned more about next years opening of Legoland Florida yesterday and it promises to be a fun filled park with lots to see and do with many of the highlights being similar to the ones featured in the Southern California park.

For a start there will be the Fun Town Fire Academy, a driving school, a Duplo play area for younger guests, and a medieval-themed Legoland Castle. The emphasis will be on interactive amusements for young children as they explore  the Land of Adventure, with is dinosaur-themed wooden roller coaster and the Factory Tour, which will show how Lego plastic building blocks are actually made.  Lego said the park will feature more than 50 rides, shows and attractions, including thousands of large Lego models.

The park, scheduled to open in the fall of 2011, is being built in Winter Haven on the former Cypress Gardens site. The park is counting on its predecessor’s most-famous features — such as its botanical gardens and water-ski shows — to give Legoland Florida a unique flavor.

Legoland has projected that 2 million people will attend the park in its first year of operation. But it is hoping that annual figure grows to 3 million eventually.

Thousands of people attended the community open house yesterday at the Winter Haven Orange Dome. Those who turned up were mainly curious about the new theme park and the status of the old gardens.  There was also a lot of interest in the  1,000 jobs that Legoland is expected to generate although no employment applications were taken at Thursday’s event.

During the open house, members of the crowd learned about the  planned preservation of the gardens and some of the other traditional entertainment that has featured in previous years when the park was known as Cypress Gardens. Features such as the well renowned ski shows will continue but will get a Lego-like makeover. Unfortunately though, one of Cypress Gardens’ newer additions, the wooden Starliner roller coaster, relocated to the park in 2007 from Panama City, won’t make the cut when Legoland Florida opens.

Hotels vs. Vacation Home Rentals

By Nigel G. Worrall

America is a nation of hotel lovers. When we’re planning a trip the first thing that comes to mind is “Where are we going to stay?” Usually we want somewhere comfortable, somewhere clean and somewhere where all the family can relax. We imagine the perfect vacation or business trip and hope that the hotel can provide us with a nice room and a quick and easy check in / check out process.

Reality is though, that it rarely happens that way. Even when staying at the top hotels in the country something always seems to go wrong whether it be with the hotel itself or with the accommodation. Relaxing it isn’t. Stressful it is. From the time you arrive there is always potential for disaster. From lengthy lines at check in, to actually arriving at your room and finding things not as you planned. It might even be something else around the hotel, like a restaurant, fitness center or the swimming pool being understaffed or worse, closed.

Imagine this scenario; you’re having a large family reunion in Orlando and you’ve tried several hotels in the hope of accommodating you all. You eventually find a hotel that can provide accommodation but you arrive to find that you are spread out all over the place as the hotel couldn’t guarantee to locate you in the same part of the hotel complex let alone on the same floor. It’s a mess and getting everyone together proves impossible.

Traveling as a small family can be just as bad, as many hotels only offer a choice of a room with two Queen sized beds or one King. If you’re taking the kids that means there’s not much privacy for Mom & Pop and then there’s always the constant fights as everyone gets to argue about what to watch on television. It’s even worse when it comes to bedtime as some folks want to sleep and others want to catch the late night movie. In the end someone ends up being frustrated or annoyed.

There is a stress free option though and one that more and more families are finding out about and coming to enjoy experiencing; vacation home rentals.

For around the same money that you would pay at a hotel, you can actually rent a luxurious vacation home that comes equipped with everything you need to make you feel at home. Homes are typically available with anywhere from three to seven separate bedrooms meaning everyone gets their own space to do as they want.  Some homes, particularly in the warmer climates, even have a private heated swimming pool while some homes may have a hot tub or Jacuzzi as well.

Many vacation homes have other great amenities such as large screen TV’s, Xbox or PS2 gaming consoles and even dedicated games rooms with pool, foosball or ping pong tables. All of this means that after a fun filled day out, you can actually enjoy returning home to rest and relax while the kids find plenty to do.

Another major advantage of a vacation rental home is the fact they all come equipped with a full size kitchen. No longer are you dependent on when the restaurant is open or what is on the menu, now you get to pick what you want to eat and when you want to eat it. On occasion dining out is  a nice treat but not everyone wants to go out every meal time and a vacation home gives the option to have a quiet night in and enjoy some home cooking as well as save some cash.

Maybe it’s time to try something different on your next vacation? Vacation rentals are great value and once you’ve stayed in one, you’ll think twice about staying in a hotel again.

Orlando … For FREE!

Traveling anywhere in the world can be an expensive proposition. If you decide to visit Orlando there’s lot of great places to see and fun things to do, but not all of them have to cost an arm and a leg. Here’s 5 things you can do without spending a fortune or if the rain decides to come out to play;

#1. Orlando Malls and Shopping Area

Go shopping! Orlando is a shopper’s paradise and has an eclectic mix of luxury department stores, upscale boutiques antique shops, farmers markets as well as more than twenty major malls to choose from. You can get the perfect gift or souvenir to remember your trip by and you’ll be amazed at some of the bargains you can almost steal. Orlando has some truly great shopping so don’t miss out on a trip to places like Florida Mall, Mall of Millenia, Altamonte Mall, Orlando Fashion Square, Prime Outlets Orlando and Orlando Premium Outlets.

Aside from the malls you can also find numerous smaller boutiques and department stores. A visit to places like Winter Park, Downtown Disney and Sand Lake Road will add to the fun and you’ll truly remember Orlando as being a spectacular destination for some of the finest shopping you will ever experience.

#2. The Orlando Museums

It’s always fun to learn new things and to find out about something you normally wouldn’t have thought about.  Orlando has some fabulous museums and besides being a great place to shelter when the rain comes down, they are also great places to inspire your brain cells and get your creativity buds flowing.

Among the places you’ll want to visit is the Orlando Science Center with its 10 exhibit halls on 4 levels. A place that has something for every member of the family. NatureWorks will get you up close and personal with some of nature’s most fascinating reptiles while DinoDigs will take you back to the prehistoric age. Science Park is the place where you can explore such concepts as electricity, magnetism, lasers, sound waves and nature’s forces while KidsTown has something to amuse the smallest members of the family.

The Orlando Science Center also houses Florida’s largest publicly accessible refractor telescope and a giant screen domed theater for films and planetarium shows.

Orlando Museum of Art is also a fabulous place to visit and you’ll be sure to enjoy its numerous exhibitions on site as well as award winning art enrichment programs and unlimited gallery tours, while  another fine museum to visit is the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College, which features 6,000 objects with the oldest collection in the state of European and American paintings, sculpture and decorative arts.

#3. The Public Libraries

Orlando is also home to many fine public libraries and these are open for everyone to enjoy. The Orlando Public Library is the largest public library building in the state at 290,000 square feet. Library Central is located on the first floor and carries popular items like bestsellers, fiction, DVD’s, music and books on tape or CD. The Children’s Library has large areas for reading, computers and story rooms. The children’s collection includes picture books, kids fiction, Braille books and more.

#4. The Theaters

Orlando is home to many theaters and many productions. Some of them are free and others require a small entrance fee but be sure to check out Orlando Orchestra Symphony and Ballet, The Garden Theater in Winter Garden, Broadway Series at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center, the Mad Cow Theater, Orlando Ballet, Orlando Film Festival and Orlando Shakespeare Theater.

#5. Disney’s BoardWalk

Located near to the Swan and Dolphin hotels is Disney’s BoardWalk. It’s reminiscent of Atlantic City’s own famous wooden pathway and you can sit on benches, stroll along the BoardWalk or just simply enjoy people watching. On any given night you may see a sword swallower, a tarot card reader, a New Orleans style jazz band…you just never know.

10 Tips To Take Better Vacation Photos

by Nigel G. Worrall

Vacations are times to create great memories as well as enjoy your family. Today, more than at any other time, we have the ability to capture those special moments and keep them fresh in our mind. Taking great pictures is one of the best ways to do this and it can be fun for all of the family.

Tip #1 – Know Your Camera

Vacation time isn’t the time to start learning all about your camera. Reading the manual on the plane or on the car journey isn’t the way to take great pictures. Experiment a little at home in the weeks leading up to your trip. It’s not important to know all the features on your camera as you won’t use most of them anyway, but it is important to know what works well for you and in what conditions.

Tip #2 – Buy The Largest Memory Card You Can Afford

Digital cameras are fabulous tools when used well and there’s really no excuse for not using them well or a lot. In years gone by you’d hesitate over the trigger because of the price of film and the cost to develop it but now, in the digital age, you can point, click and shoot and see the results instantly. Buying as large a memory card as you can makes a lot of sense because it enables you to take a whole load more pictures.

Tip #3 – Pack Extra Batteries

Because you can now take more photos you need more batteries to keep your camera alive. Make sure you pack an extra battery or two and bring your battery charge and adapter along to make sure you start each day fully charged.

Tip #4 – Take Advantage Of Optimal Lighting Conditions

There are two “best times” for great pictures. Sunrise and sunset.  If you want a really great shot get your camera out at either of these times and you’ll enjoy the best natural lighting conditions possible.

Tip #5 – Landscapes

Landscapes are always amongst the most popular vacation photo’s to show your family and friends. Landscape photo’s become even better when they have a person in them doing something interesting.

Tip #6 – Posing

Just as in landscape photography, always try to have the object person doing something interesting. Posed pictures don’t always tell the story so play around a little and take pictures of people interacting with others.

Tip #7 – Fill The Frame

Make sure you fill the whole photograph. Get closer to the subject to achieve this and you’ll find your results will be sharper.

Tip #8 – Flash On / Off

Flash can make a huge difference to your pictures. Sometimes you need it and other times you don’t. Test all your flash settings before you set off on vacation and you’ll know when to use it to best effect. Remember, just because you are outside doesn’t mean your picture would be better without using the flash.

Tip #9 – Compose Your Shot

Taking an extra second or two to compose your shot can make a huge difference to your picture. Look for objects (vehicles, trash cans, construction, people, etc) you don’t want in the picture. Don’t forget a digital camera gives you the ability to check your work immediately so if you see something you don’t like, take the shot again!

Tip #10 – Shoot, Shoot, Shoot

Want to become a better photographer? Then shoot, shoot, shoot. Only by taking plenty of pictures can you learn to get better results. Don’t expect perfection just be willing to test and try out a few things and you’ll learn from the results. If you took Tip #2 you’ll know that your digital camera can store hundreds of photos so don’t be timid…shoot, shoot, shoot.

Florida is known for its theme parks, warm weather and its thrill a minute environment. The Sunshine State is also a hot place to visit for motorsport enthusiasts as it is home to some of the most important events in the world.

Perhaps one of the most famous races is the Daytona 500, otherwise known as “The Great American Race.” The Daytona 500 usually takes place at Daytona International Speedway at Daytona Beach in February each year and it is the place where 43 of the very best stock car drivers in the world take center stage as they compete in NASCAR’s biggest richest and most prestigious race. The race is 500 miles long and is the opening race in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

Daytona International Speedway is also home to many other racing events such as the Camping World Truck series for pickup trucks, the Nationwide Series and the Pepsi 400.

Located in the orange groves and cattle ranches of Central Florida is Sebring International Raceway. Sebring is considered America’s premier sports car racing facility by many and is the oldest permanent road racing track in North America. Its most famous race is the annual 12 Hours of Sebring endurance race which is part of the prestigious American Le Mans Series. Every year on the third Saturday of March, the raceway hosts thousands of race fans from around the world to witness the historic 12 hour classic. Many motor racing legends have raced at Sebring; Mario Andretti, A.J. Foyt, Dan Gurney, Stirling Moss, Juan Manuel Fangio and dozens of other international motor racing legends, who have driven some of the fastest race cars built by the world’s top manufacturers such as Ferrari, Porsche, Jaguar, Audi, Ford, Maserati, Aston Martin and Nissan.

If you’re looking for Florida’s fastest 1/8 of a mile then you’ll want to visit Lakeland Dragstrip. This is where you’ll find drag racing at its best as all types of vehicles and bikes are put through their paces.

For those wanting to get involved in the action then Walt Disney World Resort has the Richard Petty Experience and this is where you can drive or ride shotgun in true NASCAR-style stock cars which achieve speeds of up to 120mph.

One of the most complete motor sport facilities is The European Rally School & Motorsport Park, based in North Central Florida. They have many different courses to satisfy all tastes. Whether you are in to rallying, high performance driving, ATV, SUV, 4×4, or karting, this place has you covered.

Orlando Speedworld plays host to numerous events throughout the year. Along with the FASCAR Weekly Racing Series, OSW is also home to CRASH-A-RAMA, STUNT WARS, and the annual INEX/600 Racing Winter Nationals.

The FASCAR Weekly Racing Series includes Super Late Models, Limited Late Models, Modifieds, Pro-Trucks and Sportsman that run on a rotating schedule, along with the Super Stocks and Strictly Stocks, which can be seen every Friday night throughout the season.

So, as you can see, if it’s speed you want, there’s plenty of it in Central Florida to thrill and excite you.

Footnote: Indulge me here… this is the motorsport I loved to take part in … and for those of you not familiar with rallying…here’s some in car action with the late Colin McRae in Ireland…

It took a little extra time thanks to a 90 minute rain delay and a 20 minute red flag for a 20 car crash, but Kevin Harvick was able to survive a wild NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Coke Zero 400 for victory around midnight last night at Daytona International Speedway.

Nineteen cars were involved in a late-lap wreck but Harvick held off Kasey Kahne on a green-white-checkered finish in to win by .092 seconds to score his fifth win at Daytona and his second of the season.

“This has been a great place for us,” said Harvick, who also became the eighth driver to win the race from the pole at Daytona.

“Daytona has been one of those magical places for us since we started coming here,” added Harvick who became the last driver to win on the current asphalt. Daytona International Speedway will be repaved for only the second time in history beginning Monday, July 5. “I don’t really care about the trophy. I want some of that pavement from the start/finish line out there. This is pretty cool.”

Rounding out the top five were Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Burton.