Imagine meeting the world’s largest Ape on the streets of New York City and barely escaping with your life.  This was the scene for Universal Studios Florida’s Kongfrontation ride.  The ride opened on June 7th, 1990 and closed on September 8th, 2002.  

The special effects made you feel like you were right there amongst all the screaming and turmoil when King Kong attacked New York City.  News reports are seen on monitors just as you are about to leave, about Kong escaping and wreaking havoc on the streets of New York City.  You then see overturned cars, broken fire hydrants, derailed elevated trains and exploding power transformers.  You feel like you just barely escaped Kong’s wrath.  

After narrowly escaping the attack, you crossed over the river and just when you think everything is okay, **BAAM**, you are face to face with Kong himself.  As the tram approaches Kong, he tries to grab, and lift you, and then drops it after he was fired upon by police helicopters.  After escaping Kong for the second time, you will see yourself on the TV monitors in the trams, and you can watch yourselves on the ride as part of the breaking news report.  You arrive safely on Roosevelt Island, but Kong was not defeated.  Will he return?  Is Kong on his way back to Universal?  Watch the news and find out.

Written by JoAnne Traczek:  I am a retired Veteran who is enjoying helping people travel all over the world!  I enjoy planning all your travel needs, no matter what you need or where you go.  I have seen a great part of the world and love to share my knowledge with people who enjoy traveling.  Contact me when you want to see the world.  I will help you, one destination at a time.  You can reach me at joanne@destinationsinflorida.com.

Loews Sapphire Falls Resort is Universal Orlando® Resort’s new island jewel. The Caribbean-inspired Loews Sapphire Falls Resort will transport guests to a paradise where blue waterfalls cascade across lush grounds and the invitation to cool relaxation is everywhere. Reminiscent of a leisurely estate in the heart of the tropics, every comfort has been built into this brand new jewel.

Guests enjoy exclusive theme park benefits including:

Book now to be among the first to enjoy this incredible new property at Universal Orlando Resort!

Call 877-918-8941 or Click Here to Request a Quote

†Requires theme park admission. Early Park Admission begins one (1) hour prior to regular scheduled park opening to one (1) Universal Orlando theme park as determined by Universal Orlando. Valid at select attractions at each park. Universal Orlando Resort reserves the right to open alternative attractions in the event that a technical problem arises or an attraction opening is delayed. Additional restrictions may apply.

Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa situated on the North Side of Oahu; Hawaii is a premier Disney Destination for every type of traveler. If you want the romance of the islands, then come on in. You want a Disney themed Family Trip; you’ve hit it. You want it all, Aulani can accommodate you.

Aulani is unlike any other Disney Resort or Disney Spa. It’s situated out in the Pacific Ocean for starters, on a Disney made lagoon, with the most incredible pool and spa areas. They have taken the legendary Disney Service, Attention to Detail and Beauty and paired it with Hawaiian Heritage. Aulani does not ever let you forget that you are at a Disney Resort In Hawaii. Hang with Uncle at the firepit as he tells you the tales passed down over generations of Hawaiians or see how many Menehune you can find throughout the resort.

Clearly being on an island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean means that you’ll find water, lots of it. Aulani doesn’t disappoint. If the beach and lagoon aren’t for you, head over to the lazy river and float throughout the interior of the resort. Want more thrills? Head up the volcano to the water slides. Want to learn to snorkel but are afraid? Head over into “Rainbow Reef: Disney made snorkeling Lagoon and learn with the safety of lifeguards watching over you. Plus this Rainbow Reef Pool houses ever native species known to Hawaii, and a few surprise Hidden treasures. Bring your underwater camera, you won’t regret it!

From the Pools, adventure trails,  the beach with their activities, the spa, Aunty’s Beach House Kid’s Club, the restaurants, shaved ice, incredible sunsets, movies on the lawn, and so much more, there really isn’t one way to enjoy Aulani.

When Daniel isn’t sharing Planning Tips about Aulani, other Disney Vacations and more, he can be found planning Vacations. Contact him today!

Ride with Woody Woodpecker at Universal Studios Florida

Kids of all ages love the Woody Wookpecker Nuthouse Coaster at Universal Studios.  It’s the nuttiest ride you’ve ever seen! Woody definitely proved he’s got a few screws loose when he designed Woody Woodpecker’s Nuthouse Coaster^®, a kid-sized roller coaster that’s still fun for all ages!

Get ready to scream on this fun family coaster with a POV video experience.

Whether you are thinking about a quiet relaxing Cruise or a Family Cruise for sightseeing Freedom of the Sea is for you. There is so much to see and do or you can do absolutely nothing and relax.

Rise to the occasion on Freedom of the Seas’ rock wall. From beginners to speed climbers, everyone can enjoy an unparalleled view from 40 feet above deck. Included in your fare, no reservation required.   Only Royal Caribbean gives you the chance to catch a wave right onboard. Grab a board and hang ten on our 40-foot-long surf simulator, or cheer on friends from stadium seating with prime wipeout views. Give it a go – it’s included in the cost of your cruise, no reservation required. Want to refine your FlowRider skills? Try a private lesson for a nominal charge on Royal’s Flo Rider.n

How about all the great restaurants Freedom of the Seas has to offer? From Pizza to Steaks to Ice Cream you will never run out of food. Some of the favorites are Chops Grille which is a high-end grill where you’ll find the likes of filet mignon and mesquite-grilled salmon on a menu that changes daily. there is an extra charge to dine here but well worth it. Another favorite is Sorrentos.  Sorrento’s serves the best pizza and little sandwiches. They also serve desserts and cookies. They are on the Promenade deck and opened all day with daily specials.

Freedom of the Seas has some of the best children programming at Sea. Whatever age there is something to do. Children are divided into age groups. There are 5 different groups starting at 3 years and right up to your teens. Children from age 12-17 get access to parties at Fuel, the teen only club and have their own lounge area known as the “Living Room”.

For children under the age of 3 Supervised programs on Royal Caribbean are not available for kids that are not potty trained or who are younger than 3. However, in partnership with Fisher-Price, there are special programs for Royal Babies that are 6 to 18 months old and Royal Tots for kids 18 to 36 months old. These programs are scheduled for parents and their little ones together throughout the cruise.

Written by Susan Norgaard: Susan creates lasting memories by planning customized vacations all over the world. Not only does she find you the BEST accommodations with the BEST value, but she will fill in all the blanks for you, all at no cost to you. Traveling is her passion! Passing that magic on to your family is what fuels that passion! If you are ready to save on your next vacation book your next vacation with Susan at susan@destinationsinflorida.com and 877-241-8663. 

Universal Orlando Cabana Bay Beach Resort Room Tour

The newest Universal Orlando hotel is the Cabana Bay Beach Resort. This resort is themed in the style of a modern and contemporary take on motels of the 50’s and 60’s.  This resort features Standard Rooms and Family Suites. The Family Suites sleep up to 6 people with a kitchenette, living room and 2 bathrooms.  Take a tour of these amazing Family Suites at Cabana Bay Beach Resort.

With two huge pools, a lazy river, bowling alley, and more, Cabana Bay Beach Resort offers unforgettable family fun at a great value, right in the heart of Universal Orlando’s theme parks and non-stop nightlife and entertainment!

Plus, hotel guests enjoy exclusive theme park benefits including:

Would you enjoy staying at this fun, family, retro-themed hotel? We sure do!

If you are looking to experience the best thrill rides in Orlando, Universal Orlando Resort is the ultimate place to go. You will have plenty of chances to scream on their incredible thrill rides at both Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure.

Here is our list of the top five thrill rides at Universal Orlando Resort:

5. Harry Potter and the Escape from Gringotts at Universal Studios Florida: This is the ultimate thrill ride for any Harry Potter fan! You will head down below Gringotts bank on this multi-dimensional 3-D attraction that puts you right in the middle of the action with Harry, Ron, Hermione, Voldemort, and Bellatrix.

4. Revenge of the Mummy at Universal Studios Florida: You will surely feel the wrath of the awakened mummy on this indoor dark ride when you come face to face with him after racing past fireballs, beetles, and warrior mummies on this thrilling adventure.

3. Dragon Challenge at Universal’s Islands of Adventure: This unique roller coaster is two different roller coasters, each with a unique experience! You can ride an aggressive Chinese Fireball dragon or a ferocious Hungarian Horntail dragon as you twist and loop across the sky.

2. Hollywood Rip Ride RockIt at Universal Studios Florida: You can rock and roll to your favorite song on this one of a kind ride and even take home your music video as a souvenir. This attraction is not only Orlando’s tallest roller coaster but also features the world’s first non-inverting loop.

1. The Incredible Hulk Coaster at Universal’s Islands of Adventure: This is one of the best roller coasters in the country. You will be transformed into the Incredible Hulk as you go from 0 to 40 miles per hour in just two seconds. You will experience thrilling speeds and seven upside down turns on this incredible ride. The Hulk is currently being reborn and will open in summer of 2016 even better than before.

What is your favorite thrill ride at Universal Orlando Resort?

Written by Siera Duiser: Siera Duiser is a travel agent with Destinations in Florida, an authorized Disney vacation planner and Universal Orlando Travel Agency of the Year. She loves helping plan incredible vacations at no cost to you. Contact Siera to book your next vacation at siera@destinationsinflorida.com or 734-771-1290. You can also follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Anyone familiar with the world of Harry Potter knows that butterbeer is one of the favorite libations of the students at Hogwarts. We muggles can also enjoy a cold, frothy glass of this deliciousness at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. Butterbeer is available at both Wizarding World locations –  Islands of Adventure and Universal Orlando Resort.

You can get butterbeer hot, frozen, or my favorite, chilled, and it can be purchased in a regular disposable cup or a collectible souvenir mug. It’s sweet and creamy with a little bit of vanilla and butterscotch flavor. But even non-butterscotch lovers will enjoy sipping on this as you stroll through Diagon Alley or explore Hogsmeade. It’s so good you’ll want to lick the creamy foam from the bottom of your cup when it’s empty.

No trip to the Wizarding World of Harry Potter would be complete without experiencing the magical frosty goodness of butterbeer. You’ll see why Harry and his friends like it so much.

Laura creates lasting memories by planning customized vacations all over the world. Not only does she find you the BEST accommodations with the BEST value, but she will fill in all the blanks for you, all at no cost to you. Traveling is her passion! Passing that magic on to your family is what fuels that passion! If you are ready to save on your next vacation, book with Laura at Laura@DestinationsInFlorida.com. 

Body Wars was in the Wonders of Life Pavilion at Epcot. It was a simulator ride where riders were shrunk to carry out a mission inside a human body. It opened on October 19, 1989 and closed its doors on January 1, 2007.

Get ready for a Science lesson… Disney style!

Since we were only ‘civilian observers’, it was merely a routine mission; but we were invited to go. Go where? Inside a human body. To be exact, it was the right index finger of a volunteer, and we were going to help pick up Dr. Cynthia Lair. However, something suddenly goes wrong when Dr. Lair gets pulled into a capillary… and here is where the adventure begins.

Now we chase after Dr. Lair down a vein… make quick turns, go over several bumps and even get attacked by white blood cells. We even lose fuel cells too. But, finally Dr. Lair is safe and sound… or so we think.

Since we’ve lost fuel, we are in need of some energy. Where to? How are we going to get that?

In true Disney fashion, there is always a solution. To the brain! It works on electrical impulses, of course.

Our journey to the brain isn’t easy though; to get there we have to pass through the lungs, heart, and through spinal fluid! We finally get though all that and our mission is almost complete. Now we need that quick electrical impulse to surge through our tiny ship.

“Hit the shield. Hit the shield!… That’s it. We did it!”

“Do you realize what we just did?”

Aside from breaking “every regulation in the book.”

“We were the first to go through the heart, lungs, and brain,” as Dr. Lair says.

Mission Commander commends us, “You also managed to pull off the most spectacular mission this place has ever seen. Congratulations.”

Welcome home everyone!

Do you miss this attraction? What is your favorite memory of Body Wars? Tell us!

Hope you’ve enjoyed this Throw Back to Body Wars! Stay tuned every Thursday for a look back at the days of Disney’s past!

Written by Veronica Mazarelli: Veronica creates lasting memories by planning customized vacations all over the world. Not only does she find you the BEST accommodations with the BEST value, but she will fill in all the blanks for you, all at no cost to you. Traveling is her passion! Passing that magic on to your family is what fuels that passion! If you are ready to save on your next vacation book your next vacation with Veronica at veronica@destinationsinflorida.com.

Looking for New Things to Do in Orlando? Check out Sea Life!

If you are a frequent visitor to central Florida, you might be looking for new things to do in Orlando. Today we want to share a new family friendly attraction that’s located right on International Drive — Sea Life Orlando!

To get any closer you’d have to get wet! SEA LIFE Orlando will transport you into a magical underwater world filled with a dazzling array of amazing creatures! From face-to-face encounters with sharks, to a hands-on touchpool experience, there’s plenty for everyone to enjoy at SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium, the newest aquarium in Orlando! SEA LIFE is located in the heart of Orlando at I-Drive 360 next to Madame Tussauds Orlando and The Orlando Eye.

• 360 Degree Ocean Tunnel
• More than 5,000 creatures
• Rockpool experience
• See how we Breed, Rescue and Protect creatures and how the SEA LIFE Trust is working to preserve our oceans for generations to come

Tickets start at $15 if you buy in advance. Book online and save up to 25%!

Address:

8449 International Drive, Orlando, FL 32819

Walking:

For guests staying on International Drive, SEA LIFE Orlando Aquarium is easily accessible by walking. The Orange County Convention Center is 1.3 miles from the attraction.