Celebrate the Holidays – Disney Style

With Thanksgiving less than a week away, it’s time to start making your holiday travel plans. You might decide to go skiing or visit the relatives. But, you should consider heading down to Florida to take in one of the most spectacular Christmas celebrations in the country. Nobody does the holidays quite like Disney World. Each park celebrates the season in its own special way. Downtown Disney and the Disney Village are decorated in style complete with Santa’s village. Plus, the weather is perfect. Comfortable during the day and cool at night.




EPCOT:
EPCOT’s signature holiday event is the nightly Candlelight Processional. Each night the Christmas story is retold by a celebrity narrator as a 50 piece orchestra plays and a choir sings traditional Christmas carols. Located at the America Gardens Theater, this event is sure to remind you about the true meaning of Christmas and get you into the holiday spirit.
Holidays around the World is celebrated at the different countries throughout the park. This is your chance to see Santa Claus (aka St. Nick) in Japan, France, Britain, and Germany. You can learn about each country’s Christmas traditions and sample holiday fare. Stop by the American pavilion to see one of the world’s largest gingerbread houses.
Of course, Christmas decorations are scattered throughout the park. The nightly lighting of the Christmas tree is a popular event. Make sure to stay for Illuminations – a nightly fireworks and laser light show spectacular.


Magic Kingdom:
On select nights, the Magic Kingdom hosts Mickey’s Very Merry Christmas Party. The party is filled with parades, a snow fall on Main Street (yes, snow in Florida!!), character greetings, complimentary cookies and cocoa, a fireworks show, and character greetings with your favorite Disney characters. Select rides are open, including a special Christmas themed Country Bear Jamboree. This event requires a separate ticket and lasts 5 hours. Tickets range from $43 - $60.

Here is an insider tip for you. The park is decorated throughout the holiday season. You will see the same decorations regardless of when you choose to visit the park. . Instead of 5 hours of fun, go on a day when the park is open for at least 8 -12 hours. You will see a similar fireworks show, snow falls on Main Street, all the rides are open, and you still get to meet and greet with Christmas clad Disney characters throughout the day. You will pay more for your ticket, but you will get more value for your money!! The cookies and cocoa won’t be free, but if you want them bad enough, go ahead and buy them.


Disney’s Hollywood Studios
You probably have someone in your neighborhood who just loves to string hundreds of Christmas lights on their house. But you have never seen a Christmas light display like the one Hollywood Studios puts on each year. The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights transforms Hollywood Studios back lot into a brilliantly lit Christmas wonderland. Millions of twinkling lights are choreographed to dance to your favorite Christmas carols. Look for over 30 “Hidden Mickeys” in the display. Make sure to catch the toy soldier march in time under the Christmas tree.

Disney resorts also get into the holiday spirit. The Grand Floridian is our pick year after year for best decorated Disney resort. The elegant Victorian lobby is transformed into a classic Christmas setting, complete with Christmas garland decking the balconies.


For more information on Disney’s Christmas celebrations, visit www.disneyworld.disney.go.com

Visit with the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts

Thanksgiving is less than two weeks away. So what better way to pay tribute to the day, then take a trip to Plymouth, Massachusetts and visit some of the famous sites and landmarks in the area.

The Pilgrims were escaping religious prosecution when they boarded the Mayflower and set sail to the New World. Their voyage across the Atlantic lasted 65 very long days. On December 21, 1620, the Pilgrims discovered Plymouth Harbor and the rest is history. One year later, the First Thanksgiving was celebrated.

Plymouth Rock:



Plymouth Rock is perhaps the most famous rock in America. Did the Pilgrims actually set foot on this exact rock when they landed in Plymouth, Massachusetts? Historians have never been able to find any reference to it in the Pilgrims’ writings. But, over time it has become known as the rock Pilgrims first stepped foot on. The rock you will see is only a fraction of its original size. Tourists once chipped off pieces of this patriotic rock for souvenirs!! Today, you can see the rock in all its glory at the Plymouth Rock State Park. The rock is enclosed in a monument, located at the wharf.

Mayflower II:
No trip to Plymouth would be complete without stepping aboard the Mayflower II. This is an excellent replica of the original 17th century ship, complete with oak timbers, horn lanterns, and hand colored 17th century maps. There were 102 pilgrims who sailed on a ship like this to America. While aboard, imagine being one of those Pilgrims, living in these cramped conditions for 65 days while battling ocean swells and stormy weather!! Strike up a conversation with one of the period sailors or pilgrims strolling along the ship’s deck. It is still 1620 to them. They will tell stories of crossing the Atlantic and making a life in this strange, new world.

Plimoth Plantation:



Would you like to go back in time and step into the world of the Pilgrims? Well, you can at this 1627 English Village. The village, filled with gardens, livestock, and timber houses, gives you a glimpse of what life was like in the 1600’s. You will encounter village residents, dressed just as if it was 1627. In fact, the village residents live as if it was 1627. As you look around, villagers may begin a conversation with you. Remember, they have no idea America won the Revolutionary War. To them, there are no cars or modern conveniences. These players do a fantastic job interacting with children and adults. Don’t be surprised if that ask you about those sneakers you are wearing. To them, something is wrong if you don’t wear black horn buckled shoes!!

Visit this website for more details on the attractions around the Plymouth area: www.plimoth.org

Viewing Sites for Space Shuttle Discovery’s Final Flight

Space Shuttle Discovery is poised to take her final flight later this week. If you are going to be in Florida on launch day, you might want to consider heading over to witness the launch in person. If you aren’t a VIP or purchased (way in advance) a special viewing ticket, you will not be allowed onto the Kennedy Space Center Complex. No worries, there are plenty of viewing areas for the rest of us.

There is nothing quite like a space shuttle launch. People from all walks of life line the banks of the Indian River waiting in anticipation for liftoff. The countdown is at T minus one and then you see the first puffs of white. The engines glow bright orange as the shuttle lifts off from her seaside launch pad. As the shuttle climbs higher and higher you hear the roar of the engines as she thunders off to space. You strain your eyes to see the booster rockets separate and fall back to Earth. All that remains is the trail of smoke in the sky.



Living in Florida most of my life, I have seen my share of launches. Titusville, Florida is my pick for the best viewing. This small city sits on the banks of the Indian River directly across from the space center. You will be able to stand here and see the entire launch. Cocoa Beach is another popular spot, but I feel you just see more when you view a launch in Titusville.

There are plenty of free viewing areas in Titusville. You can stake out a spot anywhere along the Indian River on US 1 and are sure to see quite a show. One area is not necessarily better than the other. The city has created the following parks along US 1 that offer great views.

• Space View Park
• Rotary Riverview Park
• Kennedy Point Park
• William J Manzo Park

Bring your patience for two reasons. One – the launch may be scrubbed due to technical reasons or weather. Two - traffic will be a mess. Hundreds of thousands of people will descend on a relatively small town and everyone will be leaving at the same time!!

If you can’t make this launch in person, you will have one more chance. The last scheduled shuttle mission is set to take flight in February 2011.