Visit Florida for the Ultimate in Breakfasts!
Anyone who visits Florida from other countries is usually blown away by the exciting theme parks, the stunning climate, the wonderful retail opportunities and the breath-taking countryside, but there is so much more to this blue-skied paradise. One of the things they take seriously in Florida is food, so when you come to visit, you better be ready for the ultimate start to the day.
Breakfast in the Sunshine State is an experience you must not miss. First-time visitors from Europe will no doubt have done their homework on which parks they should visit, which attractions should be viewed and which stores they need to go to, but the only research they may have done on food will be in relation to restaurant options in the evenings.
But breakfast is perhaps the most important meal of all for tourists, especially those who are visiting the theme parks. A day out at any of these fun-filled locations can be tiring, so it’s vital to start the day with a meal that will keep you satisfied for as long a time as possible. Many visitors actually choose to enjoy a large breakfast and forego lunch altogether.
If you happen to be staying at a hotel, the chances are you’ll have a buffet to choose from. At the larger establishments, there will be an enormous selection of fruit, cereals, traditional fried breakfast items, pastries and of course that all-important Florida orange juice. You’ll be spoilt for choice, and if you have room afterwards be sure to try a couple of delicious pancakes with a generous amount of maple syrup.
Many tourists prefer to go out for breakfast, and there are plenty of options available throughout the holiday region. Individual restaurants are dotted all over the state, as well as several chain establishments that are well worth a try. They all offer variations on the same theme in the mornings, in addition to a warm welcome to visitors from all over the world.
One of the more tempting menu choices is always a combination of traditional breakfast items such as bacon, eggs and sausages along with three or four pancakes. To most first-time visitors it seems unusual to see them served on the same plate, but it has to be said you soon get used to the idea.
In Florida, the coffee is always delicious and just about every restaurant will top up your cup for no extra charge. The orange juice is always delicious and is served ice cold, and if you’re in the mood for a little morning delight why not try one of the thick and tasty milk shakes? You’re on holiday, so it’s OK to indulge yourself once in a while!
David Showell lives in the UK and is a regular visitor to Florida, his favourite holiday destination in the world. He works for an Internet-based company that provides budget car hire deals to tourists.
Disney Golf Courses – For the Ultimate Enjoyment
Ask 100 people about the attractions of Orlando and the chances are all of them will mention the Disney effect. However, only a handful will be aware of the superb golf courses that are available locally. For the aficionado, the area is a veritable paradise, thanks to the amazing facilities and, of course, the superb climate. Each of the four main courses at the Walt Disney World resort is worth a visit in its own right, but grouped together the venue becomes perhaps the finest golfing destination on the planet. Each of the courses has its own charms and remains pleasingly independent and autonomous from the others.
Magnolia
Undoubtedly one of the most visually picturesque courses in the whole of Florida, Magnolia is simply idyllic. Manicured fairways, a plethora of stunning water features and lush greens will delight players from the moment they step onto the first tee. This is the venue for one the PGA Tour’s oldest events, so be sure to savour the atmosphere as you make your way along the course.
Palm
A woodland course that makes the most of the local landscape, Palm is regarded by all players as a stern but fair test of their skills. From the white tees, it’s close to 6,500 yards, and there are several holes which will benefit the longer hitter. However, on many of them placement and accuracy are far more important than distance. Be warned, there are 90-odd bunkers lying in wait for any misjudgements.
Osprey Ridge
A breath-taking course that features views of the surrounding wetlands, Osprey Ridge is designed to be suitable for the serious player as well as the occasional one. At more than 7,000 yards from the back tees, it can be long, but that won’t matter because it just means there is more of the course to be savoured. While meandering through the paths on the buggy, keep a close eye out for the local animals and birds, because it’s also a registered wildlife sanctuary.
Lake Buena Vista
Not as long as some of the other Disney courses – 6,281 yards from the white tees – Lake Buena Vista is living proof that Championship venues aren’t all about hitting the ball as far as you can. Bunkers and water hazards are there to punish inaccuracy, so great care is needed when deciding on shot selection. Some of the greens are elevated, so be prepared to take an extra club on some approach shots.
David Rice is based in the UK but loves playing golf in Florida. He works for a company that provides the best deals on Boston car hire, and is planning to visit the USA again in the coming months.
Celebrate New Year 2012 With Brand New Disney Merchandise
2011 has gone extremley quickly for me this year and with two visits to Disney (one in Paris, one to Walt Disney World) I am certainly not one for complaining. If you are looking to celebrate the New Year in Disney style then you might want to look at some of the 2012 merchandise that Disney have just released in stores across the parks.
2012 Disney Pins
Those of you that know my spending habits in the park will already know that I spend the majority of my money on pins and have a fair number of them already. With a brand new year coming Disney have decided to go for 2012 New Year themed pins that will be around just for a short time (the generic 2012 pins will be available for most of the year) and as you can see below, there are a number of different pins to choose from. The Chip & Dale one looks like the best of the bunch to me and is nice to see Disney using these underused characters!
Image Source: The Disney Parks Blog
Disney Ears
Although I have personally never gone for any of the ear designs in the past (I was tempted by the limited edition Tron Ears) I can see why people enjoy wearing them and this limited edition design to celebrate a brand new year is well worth look at.
Generic 2012 Merchandise
Of course with 2012 now almost here Disney have also started to release all of the merchandise with 2012 plastered on it and this included t-shirts, cups, pins and vinylmations.
If you aren’t fortunate enough to be heading to Disney before the start of the new year (I am with you on that) then keep an eye out in all the normal Ebay places and I am sure you will start to see all of this appear soon!
Disney To Announce Something Big On News Years Eve
As the year for memories comes to a close it looks like Disney are gearing up for a big announcement on New Years Eve. In order to find out exactly what Disney are going to be saying you will need to tune into Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest. Although the show is hosted in the Disneyland park, Disney have promised that the annuncement will cover the parks across the world, exaclty what do Disney have planned?
A New Year, A New Theme
The thing that Disney are most likely to announce has to be a new theme for the new year across the parks, this year was memories and next year could be something similar (although judging by what Disney ar saying it is going to be bigger) or it could be something huge.
Although not impossible, don’t get your hopes up for a brand new ride that will be opening across every park in the world, it just isn’t fessible for Disney to do something like this, each park has a different audience.
So what will Disney be announcing on New Years Eve? Only 5 days to wait!!
90 Disney Ice Sculptures To Celebrate Disneyland Paris Hitting 20!
Over 90 Disney ice sculptures have been created by over 29 artists from around the world for the snow and ice festival in Belgium. These have been created in order to help celebrate the 20th anniversary of Disneyland Paris!
The video below just begins to show how much work has to go into each individual ice sculpture. All the favourites have been recreated in ice and they include Mickey, Stitch and the Seven Dwarves!
Disney Bring Disney World Magic To New York
This is a great example of what Disney are best at, making ordinary people smile! This clever bit of technology shown in Time Square is just one of the ways that Disney can get people to interact with their favorite characters when guests are outside of the park.
The best bit is at the end when Sorcerer Mickey appears outside Cinderella’s Castle!
Talking Mickey Mouse Finally Debuts At The Magic Kingdom (There Is A Catch)
You may remember that D23 this year featured two different talking Mickeys, one that had pre-recorded sayings (and was a bit out of time) and one that was speaking there and then. Well it looks like the imagineers are taking this even further and the other day the talking Mickey was seen in the Magic Kingdom within his normal Town Theatre location!
There Is A Catch
Although this all sounds great, they are still only testing him at this stage and he was only there in limited capacity on that night. However, everyone that got the chance to meet him said that the talking was exactly how it should be with the mouth and actions going at the same time. If you are to watch the video below you will also see that Mickey can instantly answer questions that guests ask him too!
This kind of experience is one that separates Disney from the rest of the theme parks across the world.
When Will Talking Mickey Come Into The Parks?
Due to the fact that Disney have said that they are still testing at the moment, I wouldn’t expect to see a talking Mickey appear full time until at least early 2012. On the other hand, he looks pretty finished and guests could see him in time for Christmas if Disney feel he is ready enough.
What Does This Mean For The Future?
Once Mickey has been perfected, you can almost bet money on Disney moving onto the other members of the gang. Minnie, Donald and Goofy are likely to be the next on the list but it could mean a big change in terms of character dining experiences in the next few years!
Take a look at the below video to see how cool this talking Mickey really is!
Happy Halloween 2011 From Top Florida Guide!
In order to celebrate the fact that it is Halloween today, here is a great collection of Halloween videos, not just from Disney World but from the various Disney parks all over the world!
Mickey’s Boo To You Halloween Parade
Disney have done it again and this years parade looks fantastic. Featuring all of your favorite characters dressed up in various Halloween costumes, and of course it wouldn’t be Halloween without an appearance from the Disney Villains and the cast from the Haunted Mansion!
Mickey’s Happy Hallowishes Fireworks Show
Again this show looks fantastic and with it starting with one of my favorite songs from WDW, Grim Grinning Ghosts, I am really annoyed that I couldn’t be there to see it this year!
Disney’s Villain Dance Mix & Mingle
This comes straight from the success of the fantastic dance off every year from the Star Wars characters, and this show looks like it was great fun to watch. It is great to see that Disney know a lot fans love the villains and giving them their own show at Halloween was a very good move indeed.
Disneyland Commercial
This fantastic commercial for Halloween in Disneyland California is a great way of showing fans that once again, Halloween is a time for the Villains to come out and enjoy themselves. They have even changed Space Mountain to reflect Halloween!
Disneyland Paris Pumpkin Growth
This video goes into detail on how a British Pumpkin farmer creates the pumpkins that end up looking like Mickey Mouse! Those of you that have been on Living in the Land in Epcot at the right time of the year may also have seen how this works. Of course the video also features a couple of special appearances from two very special mice!
So there you have it, Happy Halloween everyone!
Disney CEO Bob Iger Is Going To Step Down In 2015
Sourced Directly From ABC News:
“The Walt Disney Company directors announced today that CEO Robert A. Iger’s contract will be extended through June 2016 and he will take on the added role of chairman as part of a succession plan that will include a new chief executive in 2015. “
“Under the new agreement, effective Oct. 1, Iger will assume the role of chairman in addition to chief executive officer following Chairman John E. Pepper’s retirement from the board at Disney’s 2012 annual shareholder meeting in March. Until then, Iger will remain president and chief executive officer,” Disney said in a statement.
“Iger will hold the positions of chairman and chief executive officer through March 31, 2015, at which time a new CEO would be named; Iger will thereafter serve as executive chairman for 15 months through June 30, 2016. Iger’s current contract was set to expire on Jan. 31, 2013.”
For me this is a great shame as Bob has done a lot for the company since his time at the company, especially in what he did to secure the relationship between Pixar and Disney. You could say that without Iger the company would even be struggling to push the animation to the standards of Tangled and Bolt.
Disney know what they are doing and we will have to wait until 2015 to see what the plans are!
Anyone I have ever heard of who has been to Disney has summed it up in one word. Magical. However, the question is, is this because they have been going since they were toddlers so they can properly appreciate every aspect of Disney; or do half of them have such an open mind that for two or three weeks out of their year they can become little kids again?
In all honesty, I think it really depends on who you are. If you have been going for every couple of years since you were small you are bound to love it, as every time you think of it you remember the excitement and joy of every day in Disney.
If the first time you go is when you are 18 or older (like myself) it is slightly harder to get in the mindset of a child and really enjoy it. This is why when I first went to Florida I preferred Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure because it was more appropriate for adults. However, when I went for the second time, obviously looking forward to being at Universal I managed to relax a lot more and suddenly saw Disneyworld in a different way. I could really appreciate it and how amazing it really was just by relaxing and being able to become a child again. (Mind you it helps that my Partner is a complete kid anyway!)
The amazing thing is no-one cares how childish you really are. Nobody stares at you like you have completely lost your mind because they are acting in the same way, and the staff are all wishing they were in your position and being a child again. Plus you can get away with having a picture with all of the characters, no matter how old you are! When you realise this you start to relax even further. Since then Disneyworld has become like a second home to me, my favourite place by far, with Universal coming a good second.
On the other hand, I have heard of people who will never go back! I cannot speak for those people but my theory is they couldn’t relax enough to really enjoy it for fear of looking too stupid. Thereofre it makes it harder to enjoy.
So to answer the question, the magic of Disney can catch you whether you are young or old, you just need to know how to relax and appreciate it.
I will say this for Disney though, whether you’re young/old, hate it/love it, the firework shows are the most spectacular things you will ever see and no-one can say otherwise.
