The Wandering Disciple

Orlando, Florida: The designers of Universal Studios Florida spared no detail when trying to make their lands match the original namesakes. The New York area of the park is no different, featuring style and architecture reminiscent of the Big Apple. A stroll through the streets of New York will make you fell like you are in the NYC and not in Central Florida. The ride highlight of New York is the Revenge of the Mummy. Opened in 2004, the Mummy ride takes the place of the old favorite Kongfrontation. The ride is an enclosed roller coaster features banked turns and a series of special effects to keep riders on the edge of their seats. The almost three minute ride takes its riders through an adventure inspired by the Mummy motion pictures while reaching speeds of near 45 miles per hour. The other attraction in New York is Twister…Ride it Out. Opened in 1998 and based on the hit movie Twister, the attraction takes an inside look at the destruction caused by tornados and how Hollywood recr...

Orlando, Florida: The colorful pages of the Sunday morning newspaper cartoons come to life in this little corner of Islands of Adventure. A stroll through Toon Lagoon is like a stroll down memory lane as the cartoon characters are brought to life in every aspect of the land. Toon Lagoon is geared towards water rides, two of the parks three major water attractions are found here. In addition to the rides, there is also a few restraraunts and shops to round out the experience. Dominating the skyline of Toon Lagoon is Dudley Do-Right’s Ripsaw Falls. The ride is one of the original rides of Islands of Adventure. The seven minute flume rides follows Dudley on his quest to capture Snidely Whiplash and save Nell Fenwick. Follow the plot through twists, turns and even a 75 foot plunge to see if Dudley can once again save the day. If you are looking to cool off from the hot Florida heat, Popeye and Bluto’s Bilge-Rat Barges is the answer for you. Guests embark on a relaxing river ride until Blu...

Orlando, Florida: In addition to great food and entertainment, City Walk also provides a great venue for shopping. Thousands of visitors pass through City Walk each day, browsing the shops and picking up that unique gift or souvenir. There are several shops here featuring all types of item from Universal logo gear to items that support endangered species conservation, it is all found at City Walk. Some of the stores found at City Walk are: BMG Cigarz at City Walk Element Skateboards The Endangered Species Store Fossil Fresh Produce Hart & Huntington Tattoo Company Katie’s Candy Company Quiet Flight Surf Shop Tommy Bahama Universal Studios Store In addition to the stores listed above, many of the larger restaurants feature gift shops catering to their brand. A few of them include: Hard Rock NASCAR Sports Grille NBA City There are also several street vendor carts throughout City Walk that feature an ever changing collection of goods. The ideal location of City Walk, sandwiched betwe...

Orlando, Florida: The Royal Pacific Resort at Universal Orlando is one of three Loews Resorts on the property. Themed to look like a hotel in the south seas, the resort features some of the properties best dining options. The menus are tailored to match the cuisine of the south Pacific while still accommodating the taste buds of all who visit. The cornerstone of the resort’s restaurants is Emeril’s Tchoup Chop. Inspired by the cuisine of the master chef Emeril Lagasse, the menu features meals of Asian and Polynesian cuisine topped with the flair that only Emeril can provide. Some of the items on the menu include: • Furikake Crusted Salmon • Thai Basil Mahi Mahi • Pepper Grilled Yellowfin Tuna • Mongolian Barbeque Pork • Roasted Duck Breast • Tofu • Sushi The resort also features the Islands Dining Room. Serving breakfast, lunch and dinner, the Island Dining Room mixes Pacific Rim cuisine with traditional American dishes. For breakfast, the dining room features a menu of all th...

Tampa, Florida: Tucked away among the thrill rides and wild animals is an oasis for the little ones, the Land of Dragons. This mystical land is home to the parks favorite kid attractions. Originally opened in 1983 as the Dwarf Village, the land received a facelift in 1995 and reopened as the Land of Dragons. The highlight of the land is the multi-story play called the Dragon Nest. The Dragon Nest features rope ladders, suspension bridge, slides and many more fun features. At the bottom of the Dragon Nest is Mizzly Marsh, a collection of fountains for the kids to splash around and cool down from the Florida heat. The Land of Dragons is also home to many of the parks children’s rides, including: • Eggery Deggery; a mini Ferris wheel. • Dapper Flappers; mini carousel • Mini flume ride • Boat ride • Car ride The Land of Dragons also houses a theater which runs children’s musical performances several times a day. There is also an exhibit called Living Dragons, where visitors can see K...

Baltimore, Maryland: The largest independent city in the United States, the city of Baltimore was a major part of early American history. From the days of the colonies through the immigration era and beyond, Baltimore was in the middle of the action. The good times also led to bad times as the city has also seen its share of violence between wars and riots. The city began its life as the Port of Baltimore under orders of the Maryland General Assembly in 1706. The town was official founded in 1729 and named after Lord Baltimore and later incorporated in 1745. Much of the colonies early economy came from the shipping of tobacco and sugar. Baltimore briefly became the capitol of the United States during the Revolutionary War. After fleeing the British in Philadelphia, the Continental Congress held session in the Henry Fite House from December of 1776 through February 1777. War came knocking on Baltimore’s door again during the War of 1812. The British attacked Baltimore on the nig...

Baltimore, Maryland: We left early in the morning on the trip to Baltimore-Washington International Airport. When we arrived at the airport, we learned that our flight was overbooked and we were moved to a later flight, resulting in a 3 hour stay in Baltimore. This was not too bad since we had yet to eat breakfast. My parents had not left the airport property, so I called them and they came back to the terminal to pick us up and we headed to breakfast. We had breakfast at the Bob Evans by the airport then decided to do a driving tour of Baltimore since we still had some time left before the flight. Our brief driving tour took us pass the ballparks at Camden Yards, Baltimore Inner Harbor and downtown Baltimore. After the hour long tour, we headed back to the airport, said our good-byes and boarded our flight. The second leg of our flight from Atlanta to Sarasota was an adventure. The fun began while we were sitting in the plane at the terminal, awaiting to push away from the gate....

Millsboro, Delaware: Day five of the vacation was a day of rest and relaxation following the hectic past few days. This proved to be the double edged sword. We got the well needed rest but the down town proved to be detrimental as the personality conflicts set in. I love my family to death, but too long together and its time for a break. Plus to make things worse, they were in the process of moving and the living environment wasn’t the greatest. So to avoid a conflict that would start Family World War III, we made the decision to wrap up the trip a few days early and head back home. Delta Airlines was accommodating in changing our flight schedule and we would fly out of BWI in the morning. We spend the evening around town and went into the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk following dinner. After browsing the shops, we went back to the house to get some sleep before the early morning drive to Baltimore.

Hershey, Pennsylvania: Much of the history of Hershey is contributed to one man, Milton Hershey, and his livelihood of chocolate. You do not have to go far to see the influence of the chocolate world on the city, from the smell of chocolate to the Hershey Kiss street lights, the image of the Hershey empire is all over the city. Hershey’s Chocolate World was created to tell visitors the story behind the chocolate bar and show the process of creating the world’s perfect treat. As the popularity of the chocolate empire increased, the corporation was no longer able to accommodate the large number of people who wanted to take the factory tour and see the inside workings of the factory. So to answer the demand, they designed a ride-through attraction that showed the making of the chocolate bar. In 1973, Hershey’s Chocolate World opened to the public. The highlight of the attraction is the Hershey’s Great American Chocolate Tour. Here guests embark on a ride vehicle that takes them on a 10 m...

Hershey, Pennsylvania: Hershey is known around the world for their famous chocolate bar but each year thousand of people flock to the sweetest place on Earth not just for sweets but for thrills. With over 60 rides and attractions, Hersheypark is one of the country’s premiere theme parks. Milton Hershey, the founder of the Hershey Chocolate Factory, envisioned a park for the working family of the factory. In 1903, Hershey picked out a site along Spring Creek to locate the park. Work began and in 1907 the park was opened to the public. The early park was much different then today’s theme park. The original park focused more on leisure and relaxation. When the park opened, it had a bandstand and pavilion as well as great places to picnic. In 1908 a merry-go-round was added as well as a 1,500 seat amphitheater. The expansion continued into 1909 with the addition of a tennis court and bowling alley. By 1912, the park began to transform into a theme park. A scenic railroad and carousel were...

Hershey, Pennsylvania: The morning began with breakfast at my favorite restaurant in Pennsylvania, Shady Maple. It is one of the largest smorgasbords and features multiple carving stations, omelet stations and just about anything you could ever want to eat for breakfast. Plus with today being my birthday, the meal was free. After breakfast we took the drive to Hershey to enjoy Hersheypark. This was my first trip back to the park since 1996. The park has continued to grow and add rides since I left. The theme parks in Florida need to take a page from Hersheypark, you don’t have to charge $80 to make money. Hersheypark charges around half that price and still manages to stay ahead of the changing times by adding attractions. Plus they have way more thrills and attractions in their park then any of the Florida parks. We made our way through the park with my dad and I riding every roller coaster in the park. A feat that probably wasn’t the smartest after all the food we ate for ...

Strasburg, Pennsylvania: In the quiet Amish countryside sits the Netherlands Inn and Spa. Away from the hustle and bustle of city life, the inn provides the opportunity to kick back and relax in quaint, county accommodations. The Inn was opened in 1973 and designed to resemble to country inns of the 18th century. The five buildings of the complex are named after notable people of Strasburg history. Building one is named after George Hoffman, the builder of the first home in Strasburg in 1733. Building two is named after Francis Asbury who began the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1795. Building three is named after one of the original grantees of land in Strasburg, Martin Kendig. Building four is named Musselman House and because the name is very common in the region, it is not sure which prominent towns member the building is named after. Finally building five is named after Senator John Carpenter who was the director of the Strasburg Philosophical Society. The hotel features ...

New York, New York: For many American families, the gateways to the America’s lies within a tiny island in New York Harbor. Over the years, Ellis Island was the entry point to many families looking to make a fresh start for their families in America. The population of America grew rapidly in the late 1890’s through the early 1900’s due to the influx of Europeans seeking a new life in America. As the number of immigrants increased, the was a great need for a processing facility to help streamline the process. The need was answered in 1892 when the federal government decided to turn Fort Gibson into an immigration processing facility. The tiny island in the harbor would quickly become the busiest immigration station in the nation. The original station burned down in 1899. The new building opened which opened in 1900 was a palace like structure. The Great Hall with its vaulted ceilings and elaborate architecture exhibited the high class lifestyle that awaited in America. The Immigration ...

New York, New York: For decades there has not been a greater symbol of American Freedom then the Statue of Liberty. Standing tall at the mouth of New York Harbor, Lady Liberty has been a welcoming sight to those making the journey in search of a better life in America. The statue is a gift to the United States by the people of France. It was designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and inspired by Édouard René de Laboulaye. The project was announced in 1875 and was named Liberty Enlightening the World. The completed statue was presented to Ambassador Morton in Paris on July 4, 1884. The statue remained on display in Paris until January 1885 when it was disassemlbled for delivery to the United States. The delivery of the statue in the states was delayed due to the difficulty in obtaining funding for the pedestal. The United States was going through a depression and the government did not have the ability to obtain the funding. The pedestal was planned to be 114 feet tall but was reduced t...

New York, New York: Today marked our final day in the Big Apple. We began the day by heading to Battery Park to hop aboard the ferry to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. The first stop on the ferry was the Statue of Liberty. We toured Liberty Island but did not go up inside the statue due to the long lines. We then boarded the next ferry inbound to Ellis Island. Ellis Island was quite interesting. This small outpost was the entry point to millions of new immigrants seeking a new life in America. On the self guided tour, you can walk in the same footsteps as those immigrating to America. Afterwards we headed back to mainland and resumed our tour. When we got back into Times Square, we changed loops and began the uptown loop. We were running short on time so the uptown loop was just to ride and see the sights, we did not get off at any stops. When the tour concluded in Times Square, our passes expired and it was soon time to check out of the hotel. Our time in NYC was over...

New York, New York: In the heart of the theater district lies a unique attraction. Madame Tussauds is a museum dedicated to wax creations of prominent figures and celebrities. Here guests can mingle and interact with the figures of past and current fame, coming within inches of the lifelike replicas. The legend of Madame Tussauds goes back to the late 1700’s when Marie Tussaud was growing up in Switzerland. Her mother was a housekeeper to a physician that practiced wax modeling. The doctor taught Tussaud the art and in 1777 she created her first figure. Her love of wax modeling continued and she became famous during the French Revolution. By 1794, she spent her time traveling Europe to show off her collection of figures. She opened her first permanent museum in London in 1835. The New York branch of the museum chain opened in 2000. It is located in the New 42nd Street area of Times Square in the commercial area of the Times Square Hilton. The museum has over 200 life like mod...

New York, New York: The New York City Police Department is one of the most recognizable law enforcement agencies in the world. The NYPD was the first organized law enforcement agency in the United States with history dating back to the early 1800’s. The department has been through triumph and tragedy in their over 150 year of service and the museum is the one place devoted to remember the thousands of men and women represented the department throughout their history. The concept of the museum began in 1998 when a non-profit group got together to begin the museum project. Up until then, the museum was housed in a gallery at the police academy. The new museum was opened in 1999 at a location on Broadway in Bowling Green. The museum was privately run and donors provided much of the financial support to construct the museum. The original museum contained exhibits on the department uniforms, Al Capone’s gun, antique firearms and more items from the history of the department. The museum mov...

New York, New York: We got an early start to exploring the city. After breakfast at the hotel then began our day. The first mission of the day was purse shopping. My wife, mom and sister all remember the joys of purse shopping from the first trip so that was the first objective of the day. The best place to find the street vendors was in Battery Park. So we took the subway from Times Square to Battery Park. They did their shopping and we returned the purchased back to the hotel before beginning our tour for the day. Today we decided to tour lower Manhattan. We took the lower loop of the Grey Line Tour. The first stop we made was at the site of the World Trade Center. We walked around the memorial before resuming the tour. We traveled on foot past the South Street Seaport before arriving at our next destination, the NYPD museum. The museum featured artifacts from the history of the police department. We also wanted to tour the FDNY museum but had trouble finding it so that ...

New York, New York: The bright lights of the Big Apple don’t get any brighter then those that shine at The Crossroads of the World. Giant multi-story billboards grace the buildings of Times Square, making it feel like daylight in the middle of the night. Although the actual Times Square is located at the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue, the Times Square commercial district extends much further. Its boundaries are 53rd Street to the north, 40th Street to the south, Sixth Avenue to the east and Eighth Avenue to the west. This tiny neighborhood in midtown Manhattan is one of the busiest commercial center in the city. The history of the area stretches back to the Revolutionary era. The land was the property of General John Morin Scott of the New York militia. It was used for farming and breeding horses. The area became known as Longacre Square, named after a carriage making district in London. As lower Manhattan began to flourish, the commercial push continued further u...

New York, New York: Soaring 44 stories over Midtown Manhattan, the Times Square Hilton is right in the middle of the Times Square district of New York City. Located amongst theaters and shops on 42ns Street, the prime location make it a popular choice for those visiting the Big Apple. The hotel was opened in 1990 right in the heat of the revitalized New 42nd Street area of Time Square. The modern hotel features the largest rooms in its class in midtown. Since the rooms only begin on the twenty second floor, all feature sweeping views of the city. The lobby of the hotel is located on the twenty-first floor. An express elevator takes guests from the street to the lobby with no stops in between. Also located on the lobby floor is the hotel’s restaurant. The highly rated Restaurant Above is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, offering great food with great views. Located between floors 22 and 43 are the 444 guest rooms of the hotel. The rooms in the hotel are decorated in modern...

New York, New York: We kicked off our Mid-Atlantic trip today. We decided to revisit New York City and spend a little more time to explore the city. We visited in 2004 but did not have enough time to really explore so we began the trip there. Then we are heading south in Pennsylvania for a trip to Hersheypark before flying back to Florida via Baltimore. A lot to do in a little bit of time, but that’s how we do things. We boarded an early morning flight from Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. We flew Delta from Sarasota to New York La-Guardia with a brief plane change in Atlanta. At first I didn’t think we would make it off the ground from SRQ. We were currently experiencing heavy rain and thunderstorms over Sarasota from Hurricane Katrina that was made landfall in South Florida. But once we got into the air, the flight was great. What a sight, flying over Manhattan and seeing the skyline from the air. Landing at La-Guardia was an adventure, if felt like we were going ...

Tampa, Florida: Bird Gardens is the oldest portion of Busch Gardens Tampa. Opened in 1959 with the opening of Busch Gardens, Bird Gardens is home to many species of exotic birds and is also site of the Anheuser Busch Hospitality House. The brewery located here closed in 1995 but the Hospitality House remained. Here guests can sample Anheuser Busch products along with attending Beer School, a program that takes a behind the scenes look at the production of Budweiser products. Bird Gardens is also where guests can ride one of the parks major roller coasters, Gwazi. Opened in 1999, Gwazi is a wooden dueling coaster featuring speeds of up to 50 miles an hour while dropping guests 90 feet on over 7000 feet of track. Gwazi is based on a mythical African creature that features a head of a lion and a body of a tiger. The only other ride in Bird Gardens is the Gwazi Gliders, a hang glider ride for children. Much of Bird Gardens is devoted to tropical landscaping and bird attractions. The follo...

Winter Haven, Florida: Nestled away, off the beaten track in central Florida is the oldest theme park in Florida, Cypress Gardens. The park was known for its southern hospitality, gardens and eventually as the Water Ski Capital of the World. In 1936, Dick and Julie Pope opened Cypress Gardens as a botanical garden, it quickly became one of the largest attractions in the state. People came from far away to see the lush tropical gardens and mingle with the Southern Belles that entertained the guests. By the early 1940’s the popularity of the park grew with the addition of water skiing. The park quickly became known as the Water Ski Capitol of the World. Over fifty water ski records were broken on the lake at Cypress Gardens. The park changed hands several times in the later years, first to their son Dick Pope Jr. and eventually Anheuser-Busch in 1989. Anheuser-Busch operated the park until 1995 when a group headed by a park manager purchased the park. The group kept the park op...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: As you enter through the wrought iron gates and pull up to the sounds of jazz fills the air as you approach the main building. No you are not in the heart of New Orleans, but rather the Port Orleans: French Quarter resort at Walt Disney World. It doesn’t take long to feel like your not in Florida anymore. Opened in May 1991, Port Orleans was designed to reflect the architecture of the French Quarter of New Orleans. The three story buildings feature the ironwork that is known to the French Quarter, giving the look and feel of the Big Easy. The resort featured just over 400 room when it first opened. Since then it has expanded to seven three story buildings featuring 1,008 rooms total. The resort is a moderate resort, meaning its room are slightly larger at 314 square feet each and feature side by side vanities and a sitting area. Another perk to being a moderate hotel is the amenities. The swimming pool features a serpent water slide as well. There i...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Since the Walt Disney Company was built on the silver screen, its only fitting that the third park at Walt Disney World Resort would be built around the movies. Disney-MGM Studios is not only a theme park but also a working production studio. Opening in 1989, the 135 acre theme park was built to resemble the golden era of Hollywood. The themed lands of the park were like soundstages from Hollywood dropped right in the middle of Central Florida. Unlike the other Disney parks, the park is not laid out with the typical wagon wheel layout, it is situated much like a city with intersecting streets leading to the different lands of the park. There are six lands to the park: Hollywood Boulevard, Sunset Boulevard, Animation Courtyard, Pixar Place, Streets of America and Echo Lake. The rides and attractions of the park pay tribute to the many great films from Hollywood. The Great Movie Ride features live actors that recreate scenes from some of the best known m...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: The newest and largest theme park in the Walt Disney World complex in central Florida, Animal Kingdom is an entire theme park dedicated to animal conservation. With almost 10 million guests a year, it is the fifth most visited theme park in the country. Opened in April 1998, Animal Kingdom is dedicated solely to animal conservation. All rides and attractions focus on specie conservation and education. Since its opening, the park has been accredited by the Association of Zoos and Aquarium for meeting and exceeding the standards of education, conservation and research. The park is layout like many of the other Disney theme parks with a wagon wheel layout. At the center of the wheel is the fourteen story Tree of Life, the icon of the park. The Tree of Life is found on Discovery Island and outward from there are the lands of The Oasis, Camp Minnie-Mickey, Africa, Rafiki’s Planet Watch, Asia and Dino Land USA. The park encompasses over 500 acres making it t...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Larger then life musical instruments adorn this resort on the Walt Disney World Resort. Like the other value resorts in the Disney chain, the All-Star Music Resort features brightly colored buildings and large icons that represent many genres of musical history. Opened in 1994, the resort is part of the Disney’s value class of resorts. It has the smallest rooms in the chain at 260 square feet. They maintain 1,604 rooms on the property and are very basic in décor. Most rooms have two double beds, table and chairs, TV and single bathroom. Recently several of the rooms have been renovated into family suites in which they are able to accommodate six people with a kitchenette and sitting area. The rooms are arranged into ten buildings themed Broadway Show Tunes, Calypso, Country, Jazz and Rock N Roll. The amenities of the resorts are basic but sufficient. The main building is Melody Hall which contains the check-in, Intermission Food Court, arcade and Ma...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: Part of Walt Disney World resort in Central Florida, Epcot is one of the four main Disney theme parks. The park is unlike any of the other theme parks as its main function is to educate its visitors through rides and attractions. Here you can travel around the world without ever leaving the sunshine state or explore the depths of the oceans without getting wet thanks to the many pavilions that comprise the park. The park was inspired by Walt Disney’s vision of the future, his Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow or Epcot for short. He vision a community that was unlike no other but the dream never came to life and the ideas were packaged into the creation of the theme park. Construction began on the 300 acre theme park that would come to be know the Epcot Center. It took three years and $1.4 billion dollars to bring the park to life. The park opened to the public on October 1, 1982. Epcot was designed to be like a permanent World’s Fair. Laid ...

Lake Buena Vista, Florida: As you pass through the gates of the Magic Kingdom, Main Street USA welcomes you. The sweeping boulevard lined with shops your passageway to the adventures that wait within the park. Main Street is built to resemble an old Midwestern town. The buildings are designed to make it feel like a true American city, despite being just movie props. They even pump scents onto the streets to entice visitors to visit the many restaurants and candy stores along the way. Although there are no thrill rides on Main Street, you can board the Walt Disney Railroad from the Main Street Station near the entrance to the park. There is also a steady stream of Main Street vehicles, vintage vehicles and horse drawn carriages that can transport you the length of the boulevard if you wish to give your feet a break. Many of the parks shopping attraction can be found along Main Street. They have the Emporium, which is a shop that contains everything Disney. The Main Street Fire D...

Tampa, Florida: Every guest that visits Busch Gardens Tampa visits Morocco as it is the first themed land as you enter the park. Here you will find guest relations and most of the support staff of the park. This is also where most of the shops of Busch Gardens are located. Morocco is also home to the Moroccan Palace Theater. The theater currently houses the Broadway style show “Katonga”. Katonga is a musical in which the actors performs songs of the animals and the animals come to life. Debuting in 2004, Katonga has been a popular stop for young and old. The American Alligator exhibit is also located in Morocco, just outside the Moroccan Palace Theater. Here the alligator lay in the Florida sun waiting for their next meal. Several times a day you can meet a zookeeper here and learn about the alligators and watch them being fed. Shopping is the main attraction of Morocco. Here you will find the following shops: *Casablanca Outfitter; clothing. *Label Stable; Budweiser signature...