Disneyland Paris

                                                                  Disneyland Paris

When I recently had the opportunity to visit Disneyland Paris Resort, I jumped at the chance to go after being interested in going to Disney's most controversial resort for years. Disneyland Paris, upon opening, overbuilt their hotels most of which were half-filled. This led to an immense loss of money. It did not help at the time that France was in a recession. Disneyland Paris had little funding for years, so some attractions were done cheaply as was their second park, which is considered Disney's worst park. I was only able to visit for one day, so I did both Disneyland Park and Walt Disney Studios park in a short period. 
My family started off our day at the Studios park as we wanted to go on Crush's Turtle Coaster and Ratatouille: The Adventure, arguably the resort's most popular attractions. When the park opened, we immediately made our way over to Crush. My family and I were surprised to see many of the other guests sprinting to the attraction. This was something we had never seen at the American parks. Crush's Coaster ended up being one of my favorite rides of the day. It was like The Seas with Nemo and Friends at EPCOT and Laff Track at Hersheypark. It was relatively tame, but offered some thrilling moments. It is definitely a great ride for teens and tweens. I rode Ratatouille after that. It is the resort's newest ride and land. This land transports you into a beautiful recreation of Paris after being in a drab, concrete-filled "studio". I was slightly disappointed in the ride itself after setting high expectations for myself, being that Ratatouille is my favorite Pixar movie. The ride catered more to young kids, so it was more toned down then I wanted it to be. The land also featured a restaurant, Bistro Chez Remy. My family ate here for dinner. It offers a unique atmosphere as your are shrunk down to the size of a rat. The entrees at the restaurant were average, but the highlight of the meal was their specialty side dish, ratatouille. That alone was worth the visit. It is a must do for any Ratatouille or Pixar fan. We also visited Toy Story Land in the park. It was cute, but it only boasted basic carnival rides. We originally also planned on going on Tower of Terror and Rockin' Roller Coaster, but Rockin' Roller Coaster experienced technical difficulties all day, so we never got to ride it and we never got around to going to Tower of Terror. After this park we went over to Disneyland Park, which is in my opinion the best Disney Park in the world. 
Disney Paris's Magic Kingdom features the best collection of roller coasters in any of their parks, along with easily the best lands of all the parks due to their incredible theming and ride collections. (Main Street U.S.A, Frontierland, Adventureland, Fantasyland, and Discoveryland.) Their castle, more fairy tale like then the others featured a dragon in the castle dungeons, which the other parks lack, putting this over the edge to be the best Disney castle. Also some of their rides are better then other versions notably, Space Mountain, currently called Hyperspace Mountain due to a Star Wars overlay, is the most intense Disney coaster in the world and one of the most enjoyable roller coasters in any theme park due to its theming and intensity. It might be to much for a tween, but a teen would certainly love it. Their Big Thunder Mountain is also better then its American counterparts as it is longer and faster due to its location in the middle of the Rivers of America. Most of the rides in this park are not unique per say, but they offer unique takes on classic attractions such as Pirates of the Caribbean and Haunted Mansion (called Phantom Manor in France.) Phantom Manor story is different compared to the U.S. parks. This one resembles Great Expectations as it is about a bride whose groom disappeared on their wedding day and begins to be terrorized by a phantom. I think it is superior then the other versions. My only complaint is that it broke down for long periods frequently. Pirates of the Caribbean is also different as its story is backwards compared to Disneyland's in California. They recently updated the ride to include characters from the film series. The highlight being Barbossa at the end of the ride who turns into a skeleton. While some moments are great, the town scenes are shortened compared to Disneyland's. This ride is significantly better from Disney World's disappointing version it cannot beat Disneyland's. Most of the other rides are similar to Disneyland's, the only exception being the ending to Snow White's Scary Adventure which features Snow White and the Prince waving you goodbye. I only mention this as the prince in the ride bears a strong resemblance to David Hasselhoff, mostly due to the wig which is almost exactly like his hair. This park is definitely my favorite out of all the Disney parks I've been too (8 to be exact) as it has the best overall lands, castle, Haunted Mansion, and roller coasters. While this park is excellent. It's sister park is not. While it features a few good attractions, it's overall roster and overall ugliness, the park being mostly concrete, makes it one of their worst only above Hollywood Studios which I strongly dislike. There is a lot of room for improvement there. But, overall the experience was fun. My only other complaints being the frequent ride breakdowns and many guests trying to cut the line forcefully. This is the perfect resort for teens and tweens as it features many thrilling rides while still having fun classics like Pirates of the Caribbean. My overall rating is 4 stars out of 5.

                                                                   Theme Park Food
                           Disney World vs. Universal Orlando vs. Busch Gardens Williamsburg

                                                               

     

One of the biggest sources of income for a theme park is its dining. While some parks serve nothing but burgers and fries, others go above and beyond and provide world class dining. In this entry I will be comparing the food options available at three of the best theme parks in the U.S.

The first of the three parks I will be reviewing is Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Virginia. The park which opened in 1975, unfortunately lacks food options. While the park itself is beautiful and boasts great attractions, it lacks great dining. For starters, the park has less than ten restaurants, all of which are quick service. The quick services carry little other then the basic burgers, chicken fingers, sandwiches and fries. I will say, though that Das Festhaus restaurant in the Oktoberfest area of the park carries authentic German food. I can not give my opinion on it though as I did not try it. The only restaurant that has diverse options is Marco Polo Marketplace. Unfortunately, I was unable to eat there as the line to enter stretched through Italy, almost literally! This line appeared to be longer than most of the attraction wait times, which did not top thirty minutes at any point of our trip as we went during off season. Another complaint I have with the restaurants is the slow service. The longest wait we encountered for food was at the Squire's Grill in London. At the time we were the only people in line, but it still took twenty minutes anyway due to employees not having food prepared hours after the restaurant opened. After all that waiting the food was only sub par. This is the worst theme park food I have ever had. If you visit, I would recommend eating outside the park.

Universal Orlando's dining options are decent. The CityWalk which is outside both parks has 13 full service restaurants and numerous quick services and casual dining. While most of the food options here are not Universal exclusive the do offer good food and good atmosphere. They do have one unique restaurant though which is Toothsome's Chocolate Emporium and Savory Feast Kitchen. This is similar to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but with a steampunk vibe. Unfortunately, I have not been able to try it yet, but I have heard good things about the food and their giant shakes. In the parks the quality of the food goes down at most locations the serve the basic burgers and chicken tenders like The Burger Digs in the Jurassic Park area at Islands of Adventure. The chicken was extremely tough and tasted like it was from the Jurassic Era. The food was similar at the Monster's Cafe at Universal Studios next door. While the food at Monster's Cafe wasn't great, it had nice theming. The dining rooms were split up into a swamp inhabited by the Creature from the Black Lagoon, a flying saucer, and a castle filled with Dracula and Frankenstein memorabilia. Finnegan's Bar and Grill, also in Universal Studios, serves good Irish fare. While the food is not spectacular, it is definitely the best fine dining in the park. The highlight of that meal for me was the delicious Irish Soda Bread. At Islands of Adventure is Mythos Restaurant. It is claimed to be the World's #1 Theme Park Restaurant. I personally disagree with this, much better meals can be found at Epcot or at the Blue Bayou in Disneyland Park, California. This restaurant's food is not that unique and offers food that is only decent that can be found anywhere. I think it is overrated. Though they recently changed the menu to add more Mediterranean food. I have not tried it yet and the only reason I would go back to this restaurant is to experience these new offerings. The best food is these parks can be found in Springfield and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Over at Springfield they offer what I would consider the best theme park tacos at Bumblebee Man's Taco Truck. They offer something as basic as a chicken taco to something more uncommon like a Korean Beef taco. All of their tacos are soft shelled and are served in a good portion. I noticed that all the tacos had a nice hint of lime. The Springfield area which is home to the Simpsons offers a large variety off food like Krusty Burger, Lisa's TeaHouse of Horror and the Frying Dutchman, a quick service seafood restaurant. The Wizarding World's food is the most unique though. The two main restaurants The Leaky Cauldron in Diagon Alley and The Three Broomsticks in Hogsmeade offer authentic British fare. I personally loved the Bangers and Mash which I got from the Leaky Cauldron. It came with two flavorful sausages and thick mashed potatoes. The theming was the highlight of these restaurants as they were exactly the same as what was seen in the movies. The drinks served throughout these lands were excellent. I love the frozen Butterbeer that tasted like a cream soda with butterscotch. Another great drink was Otter's Fizzy Orange Juice. This delightful creation was a carbonated orange juice with cinnamon sugar. While Universal Orlando's food can be inconsistent, there are many great options eating options at this resort.

Walt Disney World Resort is home to the best theme park food in the United States. Its four parks, Disney Springs, and countless resort hotels have diverse selections of great food. One of my favorite places to eat is in the Animal Kingdom resort - Boma. This African-inspired restaurant at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge has a great selection of food including American favorites and dishes from Africa like Ghanian Oxtail Stew and Pap and Chakalaka, a South African stew. In the parks is where the best food is though. Animal Kingdom has the Tusker House which has a great African inspired breakfast and they serve Jungle Juice, a fruit drink with Pineapple, Orange and Guava. There is sure to be more great food options on the way with Pandora-World of Avatar which opens this summer. Magic Kingdom in the recent years has expanded its food offerings. Most recently it has added the Skipper Canteen and Be Our Guest Restaurant. A great treat to have in the park is the famous Dole Whip available at Aloha Isle. It is a pineapple soft serve. I recommend getting it in float form. Cinderella's Royal Table in Cinderella Castle at Magic Kingdom Park is a must do for any family visiting the parks. When I was tween I loved receiving a sword, given out to boys, whenever I ate there. My sister still has the wand Cinderella gave her at the restaurant. I would recommend this place for breakfast. I loved their Caramel Apple French Toast. This was a great twist on french toast that I had never experienced before I ate here. One of the best seats in the restaurant allows you to look out onto Fantasyland. This is a great way to start out your morning at the Magic Kingdom. These are really the only highlights in Magic Kingdom though. The rest is just decent burgers, chicken tenders, pizza, and Mexican food.

Hollywood Studios is the worst of the 4 parks and its dining options are no different, it has the blandest restaurants in the resort. The food there is all basic theme park food and some American food. If you want to expand your palette, I would not do so at Hollywood Studios.

Epcot is what all theme parks dining should strive to be. At Epcot you can dine around the world and underwater. My two favorite restaurants at Epcot are the Coral Reef and San Angel Inn Restaurante. San Angel Inn is located in the Mexico Pavilion in the World Showcase at Epcot. It is inside a Mayan Temple. It is made to look like a Mexican city while in perpetual night time. It is right next to The Gran Fiesta Tour-Starring the Three Caballeros, an underrated boat ride through Mexico. The food here is delicious. I like the tacos here, while they are a bit standard. The highlight of the restaurant is its theme. My other favorite restaurant, Coral Reef, which is located in the Living Seas Pavilion in The Future World. This restaurant takes you underwater, it gives great views of the main tank that is part of the pavilion. My family was lucky enough to be seated right next to the tank where a sea turtle sat and watched us enjoy our meal. The American Cuisine here can be found anywhere, but the food is still excellent and the views are even better. I would also recommend Chefs De France which offers French Cuisine and Akershus Royal Banquet Hall which offers Norwegian cuisine. Walt Disney World overall offers the best theme park food and atmosphere. While there may be some basic food, I have yet to have a bad meal anywhere on property.

 

                                                                Disneyland Hotel

                    The Disneyland Hotel was the first hotel affiliated with the Disney parks. It opened in October 1955, a few months after Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, to provide lodging to the expected visitors to this new type of family entertainment. The hotel underwent major renovations completed in 2012. With it came redesigned rooms, lobby and pool areas. I stayed at the Disneyland Hotel in July of 2016. As I entered the hotel, I was greeted by numerous Disney characters who were performing daily meet and greets. My family and I got a basic room with a deluxe view (views of the pool complex.) The room was in the Fantasy Tower, which also houses the lobby with its lounge holding tea cup chairs. The room itself was pretty basic, with the exception of the light-up headboard which plays the tune of "A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes." The pool area features two water slides themed after the original Mark I Monorails. It also features the "E-Ticket Pool" which is the largest and the "D-Ticket Pool." There are also multiple hot tubs in the surrounding area. Surprisingly, the pool was never too crowded which made it a more enjoyable experience.

My one problem with the hotel was its proximity to the Disneyland and California Adventure parks. To get to them, you either had to walk through the Downtown Disney complex or take a shorter walk to the monorail. The walk to the entrances is, for the most part, the same distance as the walks from most of the good neighbors hotels that surround the Disney complex in Anaheim. We ended up walking each day since, unfortunately, the monorail was down a majority of our stay. When asked about the problem, I was told that it wasn't built to withstand the heat - 86 F most days of our stay. The monorail only stops in Tomorrowland in Disneyland Park, anyway, so the only way to get to California Adventure is by walking.

Back to the hotel, overall, I would rank the hotel 4/5 stars as the hotel has a great pool area and its rooms and lobby have nice Disney touches, but the distance to the parks is inconvenient for the price.

Palm Springs, California Here I Come!

There are so many things to do in Palm Springs, California. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, The Aerial Tramway, and Joshua Tree National Park will keep you busy for days.

The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens were alright. The gardens were tranquil with winding pathways through them. They showcased plants from the surrounding Sonoran desert and other exotic locations. The animals were disappointing as you could find them in most zoos. There was not much else to do. There were a few playgrounds, which would have been great for younger children and an Easter egg hunt, which my little sister tried and found disappointing as the eggs were not hidden, but simply placed on the ground. The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens is perfect for young children and people who have not been to many zoos. I fit in neither of those categories, so I didn't enjoy to the fullest extent.

The Aerial Tramway is spectacular though. The tram takes you to the top of the San Jacento Mountain right in Palm Springs.The park has many trails that take you into the woods and lead to great views of the city. In the winter, you can ski or even make a snowman. I enjoyed this day trip due to the cool temperatures while the valley below was in the 80's.

Joshua Tree National Park is another fun day-trip experience. There are many trails that you can hike in the park. The Joshua trees were beautiful. The rock formations were awe-inspiring and there are paths in and among them. I would not need to go back a second time, but I enjoyed my experience.

I would rate this trip 4 out of 5 stars. Palm Springs offers many attractions and experiences. While the nearby zoo is no San Diego Zoo, that does not take away from the beautiful desert landscape you have entered.

Marriott Custom House

                  Marriott Custom House Boston

       Over Thanksgiving break, my family and I stayed at the Marriott Custom House in Boston, Mass. As we walked into the hotel, we were greeted by a stunning lobby and an inviting staff. The lobby was as ornate as it was beautiful. There was a Christmas tree in the center, an attractive dome ceiling, and complimentary hot apple cider. We checked in and were given a room on the 8th floor. The room had a one bedroom, one bathroom, and a spacious living room/kitchen. The room had views of Quincy Market which had its decorative Christmas tree, which gave entertaining light shows every hour in the evening. We could also see a bit of Boston Harbor from the room. The hotel was once the tallest building in Boston. It was built in 1849 and was used as a clock tower, but has now been renovated into a hotel. The hotel has 26 floors. At the top of the hotel, they have a kids' play room, which my sister loved. They have an observatory, which gave beautiful views of Boston. My favorite floor was the game room. This is where the clock gears can be seen. The room also has vending machines, a Wii, boardgames,  and a pool table. This held hours of enjoyment. I would give this 5 out of 5 stars. This hotel was absolutely flawless, and I cannot wait to go back.

FOUR SEASONS ORLANDO

FOUR SEASONS

at Disney World in Orlando, Florida

                                                                                

                  I  recently visited the new Four Seasons Orlando at Disney World. The resort only opened a few weeks ago. This new addition to the Four Seasons family is located inside Disney's Golden Oak, a private community with multi-million dollar homes. The hotel has a beautiful lobby featuring a grand fireworks chandelier (as seen above.)  The rooms were spacious and the bathrooms was cool because it featured a cool tv inside the mirror.  My room gave views of all four Disney Parks and it was so much fun watching the fireworks from Magic Kingdom and Illuminations from Epcot. The staff at the hotel was very kind as they catered to all of my family's needs. The best part of the hotel was the pool area. It featured a Four Seasons kids club, two infinity pools (one for adults), ping pong, three pool tables, and other games. My favorite parts were the Splash Zone and the lazy river. The Splash Zone had two really cool water slides, and a small pool that had water shooting out of it and mist sprayers. The lazy river had waterfalls, water guns, bubbly sections, and areas where the currents varied. The only downside to the resort was that other than the pool, there was not a lot of other activities for teens and tweens (though the the resort was not completely finished so there may be more in the future.) Being a little bit bored, my mom and I decided that we wanted to walk on the paths around the resort that are apparently only for Golden Oak residents which we found out from a security guard. Whoops! Since it is located on Disney property, the resort also has shuttle transportation to the parks. For young visitors or the young at heart, the hotel has Disney character breakfasts on certain mornings. Overall my trip there was pretty fun. I would rate it 4 out of 5. I would love to go back.

The National Zoo

                                                           The National Zoo

On my recent trip to Washington D.C., I was ecstatic to see the famed pandas at the National Zoo. It was a bit a of let down. The zoo, a popular tourist destination attracting a ton of visitors each year, was of course on the top of my list for things to do. I was greeted at the zoo by a light display showcasing their famous animals, like the pandas. While walking around the zoo, I noticed it was a little boring and just overall old. The exhibits are in need of a renovation and were bland, but some exhibits did have fun interactive activities like in the Elephant House and the Think Tank. The Panda Exhibit did prove to be very cool though. The outdoor part was large enough for the animals to wander around and relax. Since I was there early in the morning, about 8 a.m., I was lucky to see one of the pandas being quite active.  My favorite exhibit was the Amazon House, a gem in my eyes. It has a variety of animals including an arapaima. The house also included a jungle-like area, a research library, and of course a ton of other animals ranging in all shapes and sizes. Like most of the zoo, the food was only so-so. It should come as no surprise, too, that the food was overpriced. I would only rank this 3 out of 5 stars. The only things that saved this from being lower were the pandas and the Amazon House.

The Kings Mill

                                                  The Kings Mill Resort-Williamsburg

I traveled to the Kings Mill in Williamsburg, Virginia last Spring with an optimistic idea of the resort, but checked-out with a negative review. My trouble at the Kings Mill began when my family and had to wait 5 hours for our room because of a maid service problem. During 3 of those 5 hours, we covered almost every activity at the resort. They did not have a lot of teen or tween activities in the resort. They have an indoor pool and a small game room which were fun (the outdoor pool and lazy river were still closed for the season). After that, we spent the 2 remaining hours in the lobby. The only person who noticed we were on the verge of leaving and going to a nearby hotel was the chef at the restaurant. He started talking to us and then offered milk and cookies. Finally, after the long wait, we got our room. The rooms there are actually condo units spread out throughout the resort.  Anyway, our room was kinda worn and old which we could live with, but the real problem was the ant infestation! We found that out when the cleaning service came by and asked if they could "finish cleaning." We waited five hours already and they weren't done?! Then, all I see and hear are cans of bug spray being used in the kitchen and bathroom.  That was the last straw. We called the conceirge and asked for another room. The new room was cleaner, not as worn, and had no bug infestation. I would give this hotel 2 out of 5 stars for this experience alone. The only good things were the friendly chef, the pool, game room and its proximity to Busch Gardens (see my previous post).

Six Flags Great Adventure, NJ

                                                        Six Flags Great Adventure, NJ

                                                                       

In honor of Six Flags' new expansion that was announced this morning, I will review the New Jersey location. I went to Great Adventure with a group of friends for a day of fun after the long school year. Since it was a rainy day, Kingda Ka was not opened, but other then that I had a blast. The park welcomes you with their own version of Main Street U.S.A. I did channel Disney through bits and pieces through the park, but I thought Disney was cleaner and the workers more friendly. Besides the park's appearance, the rides were great and that's what I was there for. My two favorites were El Toro, one of the world's best wooden roller coasters,  and Bizarro. Bizarro was amazing. You were upside down for a quarter of the time and fire was shot at you which was pretty cool. If you are not a roller coaster person, you can always try Houdini's Great Escape that "flips you and the room upside down" which is just a parlor trick. After the ride was over, I spent the rest of the day figuring out how they managed to flip you and the room. The rest of the slow rides were for younger children. Overall, I would give the park 3 out of 5 stars because the park was kinda dirty and the workers weren't as friendly. If I was judging just the rides, it would get 5 full stars.

The Broadmoor-Colorado

                                                               The Broadmoor

The Broadmoor Hotel and Resort in Colorado is located in Colorado Springs. It is a five star resort where many PGA golf tournaments have been held. The golf course was very pretty and gave a spectacular view of the mountains behind it. While walking on the paths near the golf course, I saw a group of mule deer. It was a great photo opportunity. The rooms at the hotel were roomy, but didn't have any decks or patios. We stayed in the South tower which is newer so it had more modern amenities like a bedside room control system where you can turn the lights one and off with a simple press of a button or open and close the curtains. The pool at the Broadmoor was cool. The outdoor pool was an infinity pool with a separate slide area with a slow tunnel slide and a super fast slide that drops you almost straight down. The hotel also had stables where my mom and I went horseback riding on a trail in Pike National Forest which was fun for me.  The few problems I had with the Broadmoor was the lack of good, real food at the hotel; most of the restaurants main entrees that were way too complicated for me. The extra activities like bowling cost a lot of money - $50 per hour for bowling with a $5 shoe rental per person. That's "cray, cray."  Finally, for a resort in the middle of busy season, you would think they would plan kid, teen, and family activities like they do at other similar resorts like The Breakers or the Sanctuary. I would give it 4 out of 5 stars. It would have had five stars, but it was ridiculously over-priced.

Busch Gardens in Virginia

Busch Gardens in Williamsburg is probably the best attraction in Virginia. It's definitely the best amusement park in Virginia. From the roaring roller coasters to the European atmosphere of park, Busch Gardens has it all. Busch Gardens Williamsburg has a wonderful staff and they always have a smile. 

My favorite ride was Verbolten. Verbolten is a roller coaster that takes you through the Black Forest in Germany. You encounter the fairy tale scary creatures from the Black Forest and at one point you "fall' straight down. I was very impressed with the ride. My favorite non-roller coaster ride was the swinging pirate ship. I did not really like the shows; they appeal to little kids though judging from the reactions of children in the audience.  
For an amusement park, the food there was really good like the German food at Das Festhaus. I would have to give the place 4 out of 5 stars. I would have given it 5 stars if it wasn't for the corny shows.

Hershey Park

Hershey Twizzler Light

                                                           Hershey

While Disney may be the happiest place on Earth, Hershey Park is definitely the "sweetest place on Earth"! From the classic, but fun theme park style, to the workers' bright personalities this place is truly amazing. The park has rides fit for little kids to adults. From the little ladybug ride, the claw, to a better than average swinging pirate ship this place is for everyone. My favorite ride is the Reese's Challenge. This is an arcade type shooting ride. You go in your cart which is either peanut butter or chocolate and you aim for the targets. The team (peanut butter or chocolate) with the most points win. Another great ride is the bumper cars. At the time I was there, the roller coasters were down for the winter.  They looked great and I want to go back to try them.  

Beside all the rides, there are shows (some depend on the season) like the seal show. The shows at Christmas time are fun and festive. Also, at Christmas it is great to go at night since the park is lit up with Christmas lights. There is also a zoo called ZooAmerica with a great nocturnal animal exhibit. The best thing here of course is the candy. That is how Hershey got its start.  If you want to learn about Hershey's history, then stop and ride the chocolate ride in Chocolate World which is just outside the park. I had a great trip here and you would too. I would rate this 9/10.

Titanic Museum, Pigeon Forge TN

The Titanic Museum

The Titanic Museum in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee had me a little worried that it would be one big tourist trap.  It turned out to be amazing and is definitely great for teens and tweens. You don't have to be interested in the Titanic to fall in love with this museum. When you enter the museum you are handed a card with the name and biography of a real passenger on the Titanic.  You later find out if your person survived or not in the Memorial Room, mine survived. This museum has a lot of real artifacts found floating near the wreckage, real photos of the Titanic, and re-creates some parts of the ship. The photos were taken by a priest who visited the ship in England and the photos were not discovered until many years later. The recreated scenes in the museum are the 1st and 3rd class cabins, the ship's control room, The Grand Staircase, a lifeboat, and Titanic's deck at night which is kept at the same temperature as the night of the disaster.  The deck is where you can touch an iceberg and stick your hand in 28 degrees water, Brr! Some special features included walking up a version of the deck while it was diagonal, seeing the limited-time only Titanic movie exhibit with costumes from the movie, and a 3rd class staircase being flooded. I would give this museum 1,000,000 stars.

Wilderness at the Smokies

Wilderness at Smokies is definitely a fun place for teens and tweens. It is located right outside of Gatlinburg and Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. The pools are great and have a lot of cool water slides like Storm Chaser which is a tube slide where you go in a slide that dumps you into a funnel. Another cool slide is the Vortex which is a body slide where you stand on a trap door which opens and drops you into a clear tube that even has a loop. Watch out though, a lot of people get stuck in the slide; read the warnings and directions carefully before you go!  The regular pools and the wave pool are fun too. The new attractions at Wilderness at the Smokies are perfect for teens and tweens. The new attraction is called the Adventure which is amazing. The forest has a great arcade, a mini golf course which is in the dark and the course glows and they also have a rope course on the ceiling which is amazing. There's a laser tag course which is also glow in the dark, and finally the Vault, a laser maze which I did 1,000 times. Though the activities are fun at the Wilderness the rooms aren't. The rooms are very dark and a little worn. There was a mysterious wet spot on one of the beds and my room's location was right near the entrance to the water park, so it was very noisy all day. I would give it 3 1/2 stars.

Antietam

Monument in Antietam

Antietam is definetly not for tweens and teens who are not into history.  For those of you who don't know, Antietam was the bloodiest battle in the Civil War. It's located in Maryland near Sharpsburg. There's even an old farm lane that is called "Boody Lane" because of all the soldiers that died on that lane. The cornfield where a lot of fighting occurred was pretty spooky too. I really liked Burnside Bridge. It was a bridge that the Confederates and the Union fought over and on. There is a big tree next to it that "witnessed" the battle. I have to say I thought the rest was boring because you were just looking at fields, Wow. Parents I would advise you not to take your kids there if they're not history fans. If you do, bring a hat and some bug spray because it is very buggy. I give it 2 stars.

Epcot

Epcot by far is my favorite Disney Park with rides from the future to rides from all around the world. I don't think all teens and tweens will like this park. Some people find the World Showcase boring because there are few rides, but I don't.  Mostly, the countries have movies that take you on a tour of the country and have a lot of gift shops.  If you want to go to the real Great Britain and you don't have the money, just go to Epcot!  France doesn't have a movie, but has outstanding food.

The Innovations area is Walt Disney's idea of the future. You also learn about Earth's past in Spaceship Earth and Ellen's Energy Adventure.  Innovations has my favorite area in Disney World...The Seas with Nemo and Friends. The Seas is a ride, then there's a restaurant, and an aquarium that features dolphins. The aquarium can be viewed from the restaurant, which makes it a great place for dinner.
Any time is a good time to visit Epcot, but I have been there a few times in the Spring during the garden festival and it is beautiful.
I give Epcot 1,000 stars.

Favorite Ride: Living with The Land
Show: The movie at the China exhibt
Area: The Seas with Nemo and Friends

Secrets I picked up on my travels to Epcot:  There are 28 little trolls hiding in the Norway Pavilion through Mid-March to the beginning of June. In the Canadian Pavilion there is only one real totem pole.

Paranormal Books and Curiosities

This is a card from the book/gift store - check it out

You don't necessarily have to believe in ghosts to love this place in Asbury Park NJ!  It is a such a treasure with historical facts about New Jersey and related ghost stories that teens, tweens and adults will be amazed!  The museum consists of unique artifacts, chilling stories and is even haunted by a real ghost named Jeremy.  The owner of the store has been collecting all of these cool "curiousities" for years and is always adding something new to the exhibit. If you want even more info on Jeremy you can do the Asbury Parks Ghost and Legends Downtown Tour, which I highly recommend (for mature tweens/teens and their parents).  I went on it the other night while visiting friends in NJ.  Our tour guide was outstanding and actually works on the investigative team that searches haunted places -  Make the time to eat before the tour which was 90 minutes long.  There are a lot of places to choose from. We got great pizza from Crust and Crumble.  Also, make sure to hit the gift shop which has a lot of things that you cannot get anywhere else.  Who knew they made werewolf mints!!  There was a guy in front of us who was buying a ton of Asbury Park - back from the Dead t-shirts, they will have to order more.  The Paranormal Books and Curiosities Museum and Ghost Tour get a solid 5 stars.

Kiawah Island

Golf Course

In honor of the PGA championship going on this weekend, I figured I should post a quick review. I love Kiawah!!  It is one of those places I can go back to every year, like Disney.  You can stay at the one hotel on the island or any of their condos.  Kiawah has bike trails throughout the island.  The activities for tweens and teens are never-ending.  They have all day or half day events for our age groups that involve canoeing, fishing, kayaking, golf and tennis to name a few.  You have to watch out for the alligators though when playing golf or just walking on the many trails!  We had to avoid a few when I golfed in the late afternoon.  My favorite activity was ocean seining.  The resort also has great pool areas, one for the condos and one for the hotel.  It doesn't look like today is the best day for ocean sceining though. I would give it 5 stars.

Magic Kingdom, Disney World, Orlando Florida

Cinderella's Castle

Magic Kingdom also known as MK is the main Disney World park. It consists of 5 lands: Main Street USA, Adventureland, Frontierland, Liberty Square, Fantasyland,  and Tommorowland. Magic Kingdom is great because it's magical for all ages. Teens would love the roller coasters especially Space Mountain, a roller coaster in space. Though the MK is one of the smallest out of the 4 Disney World parks it certainly is the one with the best shows like Mickey's PhilharMagic, and Wishes Nighttime Spectacular the renowned firework show. The dining there is great, but my favorite restaurant is Pinocchio's Village Haus which serves great food like their amazing pizza and even has a view of It's a Small World ride's beginning. I would give it 5 stars.

Favorite Ride/s: Space Mountain, and It's a Small World

Show: Mickey's PhilharMagic

MK Secrets: Having been to MK many times, I've learned a few tricks, usually by accident! While waiting on line for the Haunted Mansion, I heard another visitor ask a cast member about Madame Leota's ring- the story is really cool!  One time I picked up one of the pay phones in Main Street and was astounded to hear a message from a famous Disney character - you'll have to try it yourself to find out who.  Did you know that below the park is a tunnel system called the Ultidors. This is where cast members control the park and take breaks.

The Inn at Furnace Creek, Death Valley

The Inn at Furnace Creek

The Inn at Furnace Creek in Death Valley is historic and pretty with its amazing garden, but like Death Valley itself, it’s definitely not for teens or tweens. The problem I had about the inn was the lack of activities. Sure, there was a really good Easter Egg Hunt but that’s for kids 9 and under, nothing for teens or tweens. The Inn’s restaurant is definitely geared to parents who remembered to bring dress clothes. If you’re an outdoor type of person, then this would be the place for you since really the only activities involve exploring the outdoors. I would advise parents to go without your kids unless they’re junior explorers. I would give it 3 stars.

Death Valley

Death Valley

Death Valley has flora and fauna, but not many teens or tweens. If you are an adventurous family who likes being out in sweltering heat, this place is perfect, but probably not. This is more of an adult destination or if you own a dune buggy, you’re set. In Death Valley, there are maybe three restaurants, two motels and one hotel. They’re all OK. The motels and hotels have a swimming pool. The ranch motel also has a basketball court and a golf course (the lowest elevation golf course in the world!). I have to admit, the hike along the one and only creek was cool since it has pupfish which are extremely rare and super old. The hike through canyons so narrow you have to half climb on one wall was also worth it. I give it 4 stars.

Coming Soon

I'm excited to tell all my viewers that I'm up to 152 views and my blog has only been up for two days, Yaaaa! This means I will be adding new content very soon like Disney World Parks, Death Valley, and much more.

The 4 Seasons at Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas Nevada

Oasis

The Four Seasons at Mandalay Bay was amazing and totally tween and teen friendly. The hotel itself is connected to Mandalay Bay, so you have the benefits of Mandalay but not the noise and crowds. The room was amazing as was the hotel with its chic modern style. Plus, they had a bowl of free candy waiting for us in the room, Score! The hotel has a separate pool area which was beautiful with it’s sculptures and hot tubs. You also have access to the Mandalay Bay pool which has cool pools like a giant wave pool and lazy river. Your parents may think Four Seasons is expensive, but it was cheaper than others on the strip. I would give it a pure 5 stars.

Las Vegas

Pawn Shop

Las Vegas is ok for teens. I know a lot of teens and tweens would like the Sugar Factory (A candy shop and restaurant with giant chocolate bars.) They would also like the Circus, Circus theme park and arcade with an indoor coaster with two loops. Teens and tweens would be interested in the Mandalay Bay Aquarium. If you like the outdoors, Red Rock Canyon is pretty cool. For Percy Jackson fans, you can visit one of the locations in his books, the Hoover Dam. The only problem with Vegas is its lack of tween and teen friendliness. Let’s face it, we’re not old enough to gamble and make them money. I would give it 4 stars.

Westin Keirland, Scottsdale Arizona

Javelina

The Westin Keirland in Scottsdale, Arizona looks beautiful and sounds like a lot of fun from the pics on the website and the look of the lobby, but it has hidden secrets waiting and they are not good. We get to our room and it looks kinda sloppy, but we didn’t care about the room, we cared about the pool. The pool was a disaster! 

    There was a mysterious brown object at the bottom of the lazy river that my mom stepped on. The water slide was really lame. There was no excitement. I passed some fellow teens and tweens and they looked unhappy and disgusted (I wonder why). While the place may advertise itself as being great for teens and tweens, it is not. I give it 1 star for the cool lobby.

Universal Studios, Portofino Bay Hotel

Poseidon's Fury

The Portofino at Universal Studios is a great hotel especially if you’re a tween or teen. There is an arcade and 3 amazing pools, one has a really cool pirate fort theme with a water slide. The rooms are nice and have great views of the theme-park and the man-made lake. The restaurants Trattoria del Porto and Mama Della’s were really good. The only thing that was a problem was that the key card for our room didn’t work all the time. Other than that, the hotel was great or “brilliant” as Harry Potter would say, especially since as a Portifino guest you get an Express Pass which lets you cut the the line at any time and early entry into Harry Potter World. I would give it 4 1/2 stars.

Universal Studios, Orlando

Hogwarts

Universal Studios is a perfect place for teens and tweens with their amazing selection of roller coasters and other thrill rides like Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey which by the way is awesome. The better park is Islands of Adventure because they have more themes rides based on movies and shows of today like Spiderman and Harry Potter. The  Universal Studios park though,has many classics such as Jaws and The Simpsons which was my personal favorite. The only downfall was the lack of good eating choices. I give it 4 1/2 stars.

Universal Studios favorite ride: The Simpsons

Show:None

Islands of Adventure:Harry Potter and The Forbidden Journey

Show: Poseidon’s Fury

Anaheim, Portofino

Jasmine's Castle

The Anaheim Portofino is a kid friendly and a reasonably priced hotel. The cost will make your parents happy! While it is a little rundown, dents in the furniture, some stains on the rugs, it is not far from Disneyland (4 blocks away). The family suites are cool since kids get their own space to themselves. You do not hear that much noise from neighbors (Thank goodness) and the service is friendly. I would give it 3 1/2 stars.

Disneyland, California

Mickey's Ferris Wheel at Night

Disneyland is a place for everybody from babies to grandparents! The rides are really cool like Big Thunder Mountain Railroad at Disneyland Park and they have a lot of cool rides too at Disney’s California Adventure like the new Radiator Springs Racers. The resort rooms are deluxe, but overpriced. If your parents don’t want to spend a lot of cash, stay at the Anaheim Portifino. That way, there’s more money to spend in the parks! The food choices at Disney are very good like the Mendocino Terrace. I give Disneyland 5 stars.

Disneyland Park favorite ride: Big Thunder Mountain Railroad

Show: Fireworks

Disneyland California Adventure favorite ride: Radiator Springs Racers

Show: World of Colors