Fast and Furious Supercharged - Failure

Some equipment seen while waiting

Hello! I've been gone a while. I had a lot going on and am just now settling back in. But enough of that. Universal Studios Orlando has finally opened its newest attraction Fast and Furious Supercharged. Let me start by saying this as soon as I got off the ride I posted on Facebook and this is what I posted "Fast and Furious supercharged. How do you make a Fast and Furious ride that goes so slow and is so bad you don't even have seatbelts?". Its true. I do feel that way. Honestly I had been disappointed with the last three or four attractions that opened at Universal I feel like they are relying too much on screens and 3D, but as much as I was disappointed I could still enjoy them. I would rather see the Barney show by myself as a 34 year old woman than ride Fast and Furious again.

The ride from my understanding is basically a copy of the studio tour in Universal Hollywood which I'm guessing on the tour when its mixed with other things this great, but as a stand alone attraction that you have to wait in line for its sucks.

You start off by going through an area with cars and garage parts and what not. You would think 

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Universal would have made it more like Toretto's garage. But it doesn't have that feel to it. I enjoyed looking at the cars but that was ruined quickly for them when my husband who races and paints cars said that Universal cheaped out on the paint. They did cheap jobs and he started to point out all the flaws. After you finally make it through the line you are shuffled into two rooms each with a real person who is suppose to be talking to a screen, the real people are cheesy and people on the screens are overacting and cheesy as well. Think Disaster. After you leave these rooms you are herded not so much in a line and a mob to wait to get on the ride.

I was still hopefully but as soon as I saw the ride vehicles my hope started to fade. Looks a little different but basically the exact same vehicle and the new King Kong ride. Six people in a row no lapbar and no seatbeats. You putter along and you enter a room where you see four cars, actually the best part of the ride. The cars are pretty cool to see. However with the way the ride vehicle is set up if you are on the right you can see one car and the left can see three. You can't really see all of them no matter where you are.

The next room killed all hope I had. You are looking at screens which are suppose to be a group of people dancing, but its not done well, so it looks like a screen with a bunch of people standing in a

The car that can be seen from the right side of the vehicle

line dancing. Finally you see Letty and Dom, they are talking to your group. But they don't look at each other even when talking to each other and rather than look like they are looking at you they look as if they are staring off into space. Then you move to the final room. Its a screen fully surrounding the car, you basically see a loud movie all around you, and you get some loud bangs, smoke, water etc... The vehicle doesn't move much at all. And the video you are watching is so out there. Vin Diesel grabs a helicopter that is smaller than him, it almost had a video game feel to it, but not a good video game. Then you vehicle moves to the exit.

I have to admit everyone I saw getting off that ride looked mad, or upset. The best thing is the gift shop. If you like the franchise they have nice shirts and jackets, I actually want some of them. Me and my husband were so upset we left the park after riding it. I was so excited and pumped and then I got that. Its sad that Universal made a stand alone Fast and Furious ride and there are no lapbars and no seatbelts. Its just sad, even The Cat in the Hat has a lapbar. I will ride again at some point to give another go, but I have a feeling my mind won't change.

The Jungle Book Alive With Magic Ends Its Run at Animal Kingdom

Disney's Animal Kingdom has always been the park at Disney World that people view as a half day park. Disney would seldom leave the park open past dark, and most people didn't think there was enough there to warrant an entire day at the park. This year however, Disney decided to try and change that. They announced earlier in the year that the Safari ride would start to offer nighttime safaris and the Tree of Life would be lit up with lights and scenes much like Celebrate the Magic use to do at the Magic Kingdom. The best surprise Disney had up their sleeve or so they thought was the nighttime show The Rivers of Light. The only problem was that it was not ready to open on time, and its still not ready to open.

That being said Disney was not going to just let the summer go by without any show in a nighttime stadium at Animal Kingdom. The decided to throw together a nighttime show based on The Jungle Book. This show was called The Jungle Book Alive With Magic. While a lot of guests enjoyed the show there were many that didn't think it was worth the wait. The show had a very short run and ended last week. I had the chance to make it out to see the show during its last weekend.

I have to admit I wasn't expecting much given what other people had said. And in the end I wasn't blown away but I didn't think it was a bad show. It had good music, and very talented dancers and singers. The problem I thought with the show was that there was too much going on. You would be trying to watch a scene displayed on water in the background but find that you also wanted to watch the dancers that were in front of you, but oh wait the singers out in the water, but that other float on the water has a different set of dancers..... you get the idea. Too much going on all at the same time.

All in all the show was not a bad show for something that was put together at the last minute because the real attraction wasn't ready to open. And I left feeling happy so I guess that's a win. However after going to the show I found myself wondering something. How is Disney going to manage The Rivers of Light in that space? The stadium wasn't all that big and at least half of it was reserved for fastpass. The lines were insane to get into the stadium whether you had a fastpass or not, making it hard to get around certain areas of the park if you weren't going to the show. Hopefully they can perfect this a little bit before The Rivers of Light Show open.

 I did have a chance to film to the show and you can watch it below if you didn't get a chance to make it out and see it for yourself. Enjoy!

Lights Motors Action Stunt Show, Says Farewell This Weekend

Disney's Hollywood Studios is undergoing a lot of changes. Every time we turn around it seems they are announcing an attraction closing, and promising some new attraction in the hopefully not so distant future. The latest attraction to be closing to make way for a newer and hopefully worth it attraction is Lights Motors Action Stunt Show.

The stunt show itself was a pretty interesting show to see. I personally liked it better before the added part where Lighting McQueen shows up, but that was a very small add in and one that I could see kids would love. I always liked seeing this show because it was very entertaining. It was a good place to go and take a load off and maybe have a snack and be entertained. That being said there were a lot of problems with the show and those problems made it hard for Disney to keep it going, when they could easily put something new there with all the new plans.

This was a great show. It had the entertainment factor that a lot of the newer attractions are missing. Sadly a lot of people overlook the shows and go for the rides. And many times this can pressure theme parks to get rid of shows to place more rides in their parks. Lights Motors Action was a stunt show that involved cars, motorcycles, jet skis, explosions and much more. It gave guests a chance to see some of these stunts in person and get an explanation as to how they are performed. It didn't just have stunts on the vehicle nature but people fell from buildings, got show, caught on fire. It was an entertaining show and always had me leave smiling. 

The show was very expensive. By the nature that it involved cars, motorcycles, fire, explosives and so on it was not a cheap show to put on. And of course you had to have just the right people to perform the show. It was one of the more expensive attraction to upkeep per day in all of Disneyworld. And for a daytime attraction having two shows wasn't a whole lot of performances to keep guests busy. Most of the daytime shows have several shows to make sure that people have

several chances to see it and it takes some of the crowds off of the rides. Most days Lights Motors Action only had two shows.

I know that Disney has a lot in store for Hollywood and I hope its all good, even though I have my concerns. I just hope that they remember people liked a lot of what has closed or is going to close and try to think of different tastes in their new plans. I loved this show and will miss the motorcycles and the cars and the fire. It was a great show. And if you get the chance go make sure that you say goodbye. Lights Motors Action will have its last show this Saturday. But it case you aren't able to make it you can see a full video of the show below.

Universal Studios Orlando Says Goodbye to Beetlejuice's Graveyard Revue

The theme parks in Orlando have been busy the past few years and that doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. With new attractions being announced almost monthly it's no surprise that some older ones are being closed down to make way for the new and improved rides and shows. Universal Orlando most recently said goodbye to the Beetlejuice Graveyard Revue. This was one of the only original things left in the park and was a very popular attraction.

Because of the Beetlejuice show's popularity I'm a bit surprised that Universal decided to simply close it and not try to find a way to keep it running. Especially given that Universal has a huge stadium theater that currently houses Fear Factor Live. Which while its not a bad show has never had the attendance that Beetlejuice had, even in more recent times. I'm a little shocked that Universal didn't take the Fear Factor stage and redo it and move Beetlejuice there and then close Fear Factor. It definitely would have been the move that would have made guests happier than simply getting rid of the show altogether.

The Beetlejuice show went through many different revamps during the course of it being open. The most recent redo of the show got rid of the ever annoying Hip and Hop and replaced them with four dancers suppose to be ghosts. I personally preferred them over Hip and Hop. And it also brought in two new characters to the show, Cleo daughter of the Mummy and Fantasia daughter of the Phantom of the Opera. While maybe not my favorite thing that they did with the show it worked alright, the new characters added some more flavor to the show. The biggest problem with the latest revamp of the show was not the recast of the characters but the song choices themselves. I remember the first time that I saw the new show my first response was, "they could have picked better songs". They just weren't as entertaining as any of the previous versions. This led to a of guests not liking and show and I think it's what doomed it to be closed. I firmly believe that if it had not been revamped they would have moved the show, and not closed it.

I always loved the Beetlejuice show and still liked even the latest version, even if not as much as the earlier ones. I hate to see it go and I feel that Universal made a huge mistake in keeping something like Fear Factor over Beetlejuice, unless they have bigger plans on the horizon for that area. However when thinking about Universal they aren't like Disney, who has room to build and grow, Universal has to close current attractions in order to make way for new ones. Which makes it exciting to hear what's coming but also sad to hear what's leaving.

If you missed the Beetlejuice show while it was running below you can watch the last two versions of the show.

Maelstrom has Officially Disappeared Disappeared

Well the next Disney World attraction to close was Maelstrom. Its a shame that this attraction out of any was the next to get the ax. Partly because it was a favorite of many many people but also because of what's replacing it. Epcot has been a place for education and innovation. The Disney experience in terms of characters are slim in this park. Yes they do meet there but that has never and should never be the basis of Epcot. As a matter of fact I was told by Disney that that's why they moved the Anna and Elsa meet and greet to Magic Kingdom. They didn't like people coming to Epcot just for that, they felt that it took away from what Epcot was really about. So I was very upset and surprised to know that they closed Maelstrom to put in a Frozen ride.

Maelstrom never had the excitment of roller coasters or the child attraction of the characters but it was a classic at Epcot. It was fun and it was one of the only rides in the World Showcase, I don't think that anyone ever really saw it leaving Norway. For as long as I can remember it being there, I loved that ride. I made a special trip to say good bye to the ride last week, I took so many photos it was not even funny. I even spoke with people that worked there and some just tourists nobody was happy about the closure and what's going to replace it. Everyone said the same thing "a Frozen ride would be great, but not at Epcot!". I have to say I agree.

I always loved the Maelstrom ride or when I was little I called it simply the Norway ride, I love the trolls and the polar bears and somehow I always pointed out the puffin. In my mind as a kid that was the best part. It was a part of my childhood and many people agree it was a part of their's as well and it's something that will be missed and while I'm sure the Frozen ride will do well, for a lot of these people it won't ever compare to Norway, and I seriously doubt it will last as long as Maelstrom. Maelstrom fits the Epcot theme more than a Frozen ride does, I can only hope that once the Frozen craze runs out they will remake the ride and make it something better suited for Epcot.


Disney I know you want to do what you can to put Frozen in the parks but this move was not a great one, and I don't think it will take that long after it opens for you to see that.

Bye Bye Backlot at Disney World

Disney World has recently gone on a bit of a frenzy in closing attractions. They have closed or moved a lot of things in the past couple of years. But the Studio Backlot Tour marks the second thing that Disney's Hollywood Studios has lost this year. The first was the American Idol Experience. However the Backlot Tour has a long history and a lot of fond memories.

The Backlot Tour was not as exciting as use to be and a lot of people would skip it because they found it boring or long and just not interesting. And while it use to be a much better attraction than it was in recent times it was still fun. I had the pleasure of saying goodbye to this ride on its final day and I have to admit I was filled with sadness. I found myself taking photos of everything I could and trying to take it all in so that years from now I can remember the ride.

I remember being young and riding this ride and it was before they did the water in the bay bit before the actual ride, it was the bumblebee, where the people that were chosen got to ride a bumblebee. And I remember seeing things at the studios when they were in use, and the houses before they were torn down. And so much and I remember being amazed at all that you got to see on that tour, it was one of my favorite things to do at MGM Studios (yes it was MGM back then). As I found myself riding the ride for the last time I was remembering all these things, even when the water tower was the icon for the park, not the hat. And so much of the things that were able to be seen on the ride won't be seen anymore. It's sad to think about.

I know a lot of people don't remember the Backlot Tour in all it's glory, but even without that it was still a good ride, and it use to be a great ride. And for anyone that remembers it from years and years ago they are even more sad to see it go. All I can say is that I hope Disney has great plans for whatever takes it's place. And I also hope that they keep to true to what made MGM/Hollywood a great park, and that's a love for all movies and the process behind them.

Rantings From a Theme Park Pro, Please Please Please Don't Do These in a Theme Park

Well hello online world! It's been a while but I have to admit I've had a blast while I've been away from you guys. So far I have been traveling and seeing all kinds of things and meeting all kinds of new people! However I have found out a few things, I am in a fact a theme park junkie. I have friends that are as well, we would live at the parks if we could. I consider myself a theme park pro actually. I have been to more theme parks than I can count and spend more hours there than most anywhere else. I love it! I did have the unfortunate realization that I love theme parks but I hate dealing with the people there. Mainly because most of them are rude. Which prompted me to want to write this little note for all of you to read. If you find yourself going to a theme park please keep these things in mind.

First off, if you don't need a wheelchair don't rent a wheelchair or a scooter. The only purpose it serves is to take a space and be rude and make it harder for everyone else around it, and for rides that allow people to skip the line if they have a wheelchair its terrible for those that need it. I actually listened to two women talk about how great it was to get these scooters and skip the bus line, bus pulls up they get on, little girl from the make a wish foundation has to wait, why, because these women are lazy. And here's another thing, reasons you need one are not that your feet get tired, because everyone's feet get tired at the parks, nor do you need one if you are so out of shape that you get winded from walking, this can be solved by preparing for your trip by getting up and getting shape before you trip. I am all for people that need them using them, and I will be first person to let them go ahead of me or hold a door open or anything I can do to help, but I hate seeing people take advantage of other's niceness or theme park benefits.

Another thing I hate, strollers, now if you have a small child that needs a stroller please bring it, more power to you. However make sure that you know how to push it, don't run over the people in front of you, and don't look to the side or behind you while pushing it. Theme parks are crowded and people are everywhere, so pay attention. And please please please only use a stroller if your child is of an appropriate age to need one. You would be surprised how many children I see that are way too old for a stroller, we are talking 8,9,10 and sometimes older being pushed in a strollers. This just clogs up walkways and makes its harder for everyone to get around.

Everyone does dumb things from time to time, but I think a lot of people just don't try at the parks. I have gone out of my way to let kids stand in front of me at shows and parades and even made room for entire families to be up front. My reward many of these times, are loud kids or parents that keep stepping on me or pushing me out of the way. This is not okay no matter what the situation but if someone is trying to be nice remember that they didn't have to be and you should respect them and be nice given that they were doing it just because. Also regardless of the situation if you are standing and someone is sitting you need to be mindful so as not to step on them, or their things. The first time can be forgiven, the second, third and forth not so much. You would not want someone doing that to you so don't do it to them.

Now everyone knows that when people come to theme parks they want to relax, and that's great, but other people came for the same reason as well. This means that you need to be mindful that other people are around. Don't take up the entire walkway so nobody else can get around you, and don't stop in the middle of the walkway. This is a great way to get run into and then its a disaster for everyone involved. It can involve injuries, messes, and crying children. The only reason its okay for you to stop in a walkway, or block a walkway is if you are having an emergency, this means if someone isn't bleeding its not an emergency. And finally pay attention to whats going around you. If you have a child then you should know where they are and make sure that are not swinging things to the point that they hit someone. All those swords and other things yeah they hurt.

The swords issue makes me think of those light up toys that you can get for the night time shows. Rides, non light shows and buses are not appropriate places to use these things. For one on the rides and in certain shows they can ruin it for other people, and this could their only chance to see that ride or show, and your child is going to ruin it if you don't monitor and they play with those toys. And buses are not a good place either. Its an enclosed space that can be migraine and seizure inducing for someone on the bus. I have actually seen this happen before. Once again you would not want that to happen to you so don't do it to others.

Which leads me to this, shows, rides, parades anything you see at a park is something people pay to see. This means that you should enjoy it but be mindful of others. Dont' yell, don't kick seats, don't try to be annoying, and don't cuss. And hats, oh yeah those wonderful tall hats that you can buy or Mickey ears or whatever, need to come off during these things. Do you want someone wearing these sitting in front of you? I doubt it, so take them off, its rude.

And then of course if you come to Florida its going to rain. If you are one of those people that thinks ponchos work (they really don't) that's great and feel free to wear them. But take them off when boarding buses and rides and shows. The reason is that that poncho takes up more space that just you do, its big and it fans out and branches over to the people around you. And not only that, when you sit down that water on your poncho goes all over the people next to you. If you are going to use them that's find but take them off when you have to sit next to other people, so as not to take up more than your share of space or get them wet.

The last thing I'm going to mention most people never think about, bags. A lot of people hold the idea the bigger the better because it holds more. I have found this is not the case but if you like it that way great. But if you have a bag you need to watch where it is and how you are moving while wearing it. For instance if you are a bus, and you have a backpack and its on your back you need remember that. That means you can't go swinging around and talking to this person and then turning and talking to this person. If you do that you just took two people with your backpack. So be mindful of the fact you wearing a bag.

Those are the biggest gripes I think I have. I have others I don't like, people hitting and running over kids without saying they are sorry. People that put kids on their shoulders, (it blocks the view of every child and adult behind them), just hold them at your height. Line cutters, I have come to the point where I tell them where the line is. People will be more likely to help you if you don't do these things. For instance I always have extra passes to skip lines, and I pick random families to join me. I would never choose anyone doing any of the things listed above. I would pick people that seemed more considerate to those around them. Everyone can do as they please, but if you think about it then you would not want people doing these things to you, so don't do them to other people. And by being considerate and nice you would be surprised how many friends you can make and how much of a better time you can have. Take it from a theme park pro, being considerate can go a very long way in making your vacation a great one.

Disney's Frozen Summer Fun at Hollywood Studios - Orlando Florida

Kristoff

For the First time in forever Disney's Hollywood Studios is having a Frozen summer fun celebration. This celebration is very special for several reasons but the first is that there is very little Frozen out there right now at the parks, so having this celebration finally brings Frozen to Disney World. But its also special in that it's a very limited time, in fact in only ran in July and will run in August which means that after August it will be gone. People have talked about hoping that Disney will keep in or at least extend it. This is somewhere unlikely simply because all the locations that the events take place are where they hold other special events at other times of the year. Not to worry though if you are heading to the parks in the next month there is a lot to enjoy.

Anna and Elsa

First off you need to know that Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff along with skiers, and skaters will make their way down Hollywood Blvd at eleven in the morning to greet all the people of Hollywoodland. Once they make their way down to the hat Anna and Elsa are presented with Flowers on stage and host a very special sing a long. It's a fun parade, but you can tell that Disney kinda threw in together at the last minute, (which they did for all the Frozen stuff). But it's still very entertaining.

If you love Frozen and the music from it like a lot of people do, then you can attend a Frozen sing a
long. Where two hosts will tell you the history Arendale while breaking for sing a longs with your favorite Frozen songs. And at the end if you're lucky, Anna, Elsa and even Kristoff might make an appearance. If you want to attend the sing a long its about 20-30 minutes and takes place in the premier theatre, and you need go there early in the day to get a ticket for the time you want to come back and see the show.

Figure Skaters

If you want to see something really special head over the Oakens the store for a ton of Frozen merchandise which is not easy to find right now. But right next door you can go in a summer fun land, where you can rent ice skates and skate for 30 minutes, or build a snowman out of real snow. But about 15 after the hour until 4:15 you can see a pair of figure skaters (someone told me from Disney on ice) figure skate to Frozen music. I like to get there a bit early and just cool off and find a good place to sit. I like to stand at the railing as if you sit on the benches people will stand in front of you. For the summer fun land and for Oakens there can sometimes be a line so be prepared for that, its not usually too long, but there can be a line.

And if you want to stay until the park closes, you can see the fireworks that are summoned by Elsa. At about five thirty a dance party takes place in front of the hat, and this will go on until fireworks time. There is a small stage show and the fireworks. The show usually starts about nine thirty and the fireworks at about nine forty five.

If you aren't sure if you want to attend any of these events not to worry you can find them online to get an idea of what you are looking at. And I have included a couple videos from my time at Frozen Summer Fun.

Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Ride - Orlando Florida

It's official the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Ride is open at the New Fantasyland at Disney World! There has been a lot of hype around this ride and Disney was trying to keep things about it secret up until they started their soft opening last week. I have to admit that I was a bit surprised at the wait time, when I got there at about eleven in the morning today, it was only an hour wait. I was expecting a much much longer time than than. It's my understanding that fastpasses are gone for at least a couple months, but it can't hurt to double check.

The ride itself is not very long, around two minutes. It's a smooth ride, not a lot of jerks or bumps like some other coasters. The ride is actually really good, the best part is not the coaster part, its the dwarfs part. You get to go through and see the dwarfs mining and the gems, maybe it was just because it was new, and I had never riden it, but  I found myself acting like a little kid the first time I rode it, pointing and going "awww".

This is a great family ride, its not all that scary, tamer than Thunder Mountain and not as jerky Barnstormer. If you are looking for a thrill ride, you might be disappointed. But if you are looking for a mild ride, its really good. I would say that most kids would enjoy it and it would not really scare them. I would tell anyone with or without kids to make sure that they rode this ride. However if you can't get a fastpass you might want to wait until right before the park closes to see if the line thins out or hit it when the park opens.

Just to kinda give you a taste of the ride I have added a video of the ride so you can see what it's like.

T. T. Wentworth Museum - Pensacola Florida

The T. T. Wentworth museum has been around for a quite a while in Pensacola, granted it has gone through many changes through the years, and while the current museum is merely a shell of what the entire museum use to be it's still something that well worth seeing. The original museum was donated to the city by Wentworth, and opened in 1988. It housed Wentworth's collection of odd things shall we say. Things that were included were a mummified cat, things like what was suppose to be a dinosaur bone, and his other non really odd things were on a different floor. Museum is no longer in the building that it used to be housed in and it focuses more on things other Wentworth's collection.

The first floor has what they still have on display of Wentworth's collection, crammed in one or two small rooms, and honestly not very well displayed. It could be a bit more focused on his collection but since you can still see most of it, its worth going to. You can also see a Postal Exhibit that is pretty good on the first floor, and an exhibit about the City of Five Flags itself, Pensacola. The second floor has several rotating exhibits, so its best to check in advance if you're planning to visit.

The third floor use to house a discovery exhibit for kids, an interactive area. It use to feature unique things that educated children. Then it was used as a discovery area to children that was not as good but still fun for the young ones. But now its an open area that is to be used for more traveling exhibits.

Overall its a little disappointing if you ever went to the old T. T. Wentworth museum, but you can still see a lot of his artifacts on the first floor, even if they are poorly displayed and a little cramped. So its worth going to check out. You won't need a full day even if you want to check out all the other exhibits, I would say maybe a couple hours if you want to take your time, and enjoy yourself, and most of your time will more than likely be spent looking the Wentworth's collection. That is only thing that makes this museum worth visiting. So for that I highly recommend it to any visitor in the area.

The museum is free, there is not admission it's closed on all the major holidays. And is open from 10 in the morning to four in the afternoon, on Tuesday through Saturday.

It is located at 330 South Jefferson Street in Downtown Pensacola.
Their phone number is 850-595-5990.

National Naval Aviation Museum - NAS Pensacola Florida

If you find yourself in Pensacola Florida and you are looking for a morning or afternoon adventure you should look into visiting the Naval Museum that is at NAS Pensacola. The first thing that you need to know is that it's on a Naval base. You can still visit it, and it's free, but when you get to the security checkpoint just tell them you want to visit the Naval Museum, they will give you instructions on how to get there. Just remember that you are on a Military base and you need to follow what they say, and don't decide to sightsee, you could end up in some trouble if you do that. That being said, once you get to the museum there is a lot that you can see and that will keep you busy. When I was little I always loved heading out to the museum, it was a fun and free activity that the whole family could do and have a good time.

If you are interested in seeing the cockpit of some of the aircrafts that are used or have been used in the past you are in luck. There are many of these available for you to climb in and sit at the cockpit of. The have moved these throughout the museum during the course of the years I have been going but the last time I visited the museum they were in south wing on the second deck. Be sure to bring your camera!

You will find that the museum has many exhibits such as different aircraft, but also exhibits that are about our space travels. You can also visit some exhibits that pay tribute to World War I, and even Sunken Aircraft. There are many exhibits that you should explore while visiting the museum those are just a few to name. Just remember if you are able to when you visit to go see the aircraft that is outside, weather permitting.

If you time your visit at the right time and the right day then you can catch a Blue Angels practice while visiting the museum. And on some days they hold a meet and greet inside the museum that is free to all museum visitors. This is something that many non locals view as a once in a lifetime event. So be sure to check the schedule of the Blues before you plan your trip if you are interested in this.

The museum itself is free, and it's open to the public. But the extras like the IMAX and simulators are not free and do cost a fee to see. You can visit the museum's website to find out what is playing and what the costs are for these events.

Naval Aviation Museum Website

Open 9 AM- 5 PM Monday-Friday
Open 10 AM- 5 PM Saturday and Sunday
Closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day

Admission is Free

Wildlife Sanctuary of Northwest Florida - Pensacola Florida

When I was a little kid my mom would always take us to places that were local and fun to visit. When I was really little my mom would take us to this sanctuary in Pensacola that housed animals that could not be released back into the wild or that just needed to heal and then be released or be placed in zoos. Some of the many things that we got to see when we went was a bear cub, owls, and a baby deer that someone had tried to keep in their back yard and it got hurt on the fence. When I was a kid the sanctuary would take cans as donations to help them keep running, I remember helping my mom save these cans so that we could go and help out the animals as well. Well now that I'm older I'm very please to say that I have located this sanctuary and to tell others that it's still around. It might have moved and it's a little different but it's great none the less.

The sanctuary still houses animals that can't be released or that need care to heal. And they help animals that people find and have a phone number for you to call if you find an animal that needs help. They allow people to come by and visit their animals that live at the sanctuary, they house over a hundred animals that can't be released. If you plan to visit the sanctuary then you might want to make sure that you know they keep strange hours, as far as I know right now they only allow people to visit their animals on Wednesdays - Saturday from noon to three thirty, but this can change. This might not seem like a long time but it's a great afternoon outing and it's a relaxing visit.

While I love animals and zoos can be fun this place is much better than any zoo I have been to. It's a calm and relaxing atmosphere and all the animals that that are there are being taken care of to help release them back into the wild or find them a more permanent place because they can't be released, or call the sanctuary home because they can't find homes elsewhere. There are a lot of animals that you see on your visit but it won't take you all afternoon to see them all. The last time that I visited I was able to see a wide range of critters including a serval and owls.

If you find that you can't head out on a weekday keep checking their website because sometimes if you find the right Saturday they might do an open house. This is where people can come and see some of their animals and they might even have animal encounters going on. This is a great way to head out there if you find that weekdays aren't the best for you or your family.

The Sanctuary is located at:

105 North "S" Street
Pensacola, FL 32505

Phone Number:  (850) 433-9453

Hours for Visiting:  Wednesday - Saturday: 12 noon to 3:30 p.m.

If you find injured wildlife drop offs are everyday from 8-5

They only ask for a small donation to help keep the sanctuary running, in order for you to visit.

Mickey's Not So Scary Halloween Party

When the cool of Fall comes to south Florida and the thoughts of ghosts, ghouls and goblins start to cross your mind consider making a trip to the Magic Kingdom. On certain nights during the fall Disney’s Magic Kingdom holds it annual Halloween party, called Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party. This is a family friendly Halloween party that it suitable for all ages, from trick or treating to parades and villains dancing, this party has something for everyone.

The Halloween party is an extra admission event that is held at the Magic Kingdom, you have to buy a ticket to the Halloween party, it is not included in park admission, but it’s well worth it. Once the party starts guests can take part in things that aren’t offered during regular park hours. A Special parade is held, along with a villain’s dance party, and trick or treating, not to mention the haunted mansion is made extra creepy for these special nights.

If you have never been to the party its good to know that you should arrive early, you can usually start to enter the park at least thirty minutes before the start of the party using your Halloween party ticket. Once you get in the park you should pick up a times guide for the Halloween events. If you can it’s a good idea to not go on Friday as this can be the busiest day to go.

The Dapper Dan's

I recommend starting out with visiting some of the trick or treat locations that are throughout the park. These locations are marked on the Halloween map; if you hit these early in the evening and late then you should not have much of a wait. So I think its best to hit one or two when the party first starts, and then by 7:30 have your spot for the first parade. Usually the parades will start at 8:30 and 10:30, I think its best to go to the early parade and be there at least an hour early. Most people will go to Main Street but this is a rookie mistake you want to head over to Frontierland to watch the parade, the parade starts in Frontierland and ends on Main Street. Spots will fill up fast and you want to get a good spot. I usually head to Casey’s Corner and grab some corn dog nuggets and find my spot in Frontierland an hour before the parade.

The Caretaker from the Haunted Mansion

Spots for the Boo to You Halloween Parade are hard to come by so guard it well, make sure that your entire party is there and waiting. It’s also important to note that before the parade you can see two things that can’t be seen at any time, the Dapper Dan’s are dressed up and singing stories or Halloween ghouls before the parade, if you are lucky you might catch wind of them signing of the scariest ghoul of all, the Headless Horseman. But beware about five minutes before the parade starts the Headless Horseman himself will ride through the parade route. (Please note, he cannot stop so make sure that you are clear of the route before he rides).  Following the horseman’s ride the parade will start and feature many of your favorite Disney characters dressed up in their costumes. If you are lucky you might catch a glimpse of some Disney ghouls such as the Haunted Mansion’s ballroom dancers, the Caretaker from the Haunted Mansion and his dog, the Hitchhiking ghosts, and classic Disney villains.

The Headless Horseman

Once the parade is over you should have a little time to hit a trick or treating spot or two or maybe a ride with a short line, but watch your time. If you want to catch the special Halloween fireworks show called Happy Hallowishes you will want to make sure that you give yourself plenty of time. Here’s a tip, don’t make the rookie mistake of watching the fireworks on Main Street, go to Beast’s Castle about fifteen minutes before the fireworks and watch them from there. There are fewer crowds, and it’s a much better view.

Haunted Mansion Dancers

After the fireworks it’s a good time to walk around and hit up a few of the rides that have shorter lines, then by about 10:00 the lines for a lot of rides will start to slack off and so will the trick or treating lines. A lot of people will be waiting for the second parade, and then will be leaving after that. So many ride lines that are usually very busy will thin out, when I was there the Peter Pan ride line was only a five minute wait, and Thunder Mountain was walk on. By 11:00 most trick or treat locations were cleared out and had no wait at all. It’s a good idea to make sure that you time your events well, that way you can make the most out of your time.

If you can try to plan visiting the Haunted Mansion during the second parade, the line will be pretty short and it’s a great time to do it. The cast members at the Haunted Mansion will be dressed up with makeup and

Haunted Mansion

cobwebs to look like they are dead and if you hang around in front of the mansion you can meet a ghost with a sense of humor. On the front lawn of the mansion you can meet one of the ballroom dancers, who likes to talk and make jokes at those that are still living. When I went her name was Miss Renalda, but it changes as to who is visiting each night. It can be fun to just hang out and watch her for a few minutes. She can be seen as you enter the mansion and as you exit the mansion.

While the Halloween Party is only a few hours long usually about 5 hours I think, if you know when and how to do things you can make the most of your time without having to rush at all. Just to give you a taste of some of the things to do, here are a couple of videos that I took at the party during my last visit.

Kooter Brown's - Pensacola Florida

So it has been a while since I talked about one of the best features of traveling, the food! It's always so much fun to try out new places to eat that you can't find in your home town. The best way to find some of these places to read up on reviews and to find out what the locals like. And if you want a great place in Pensacola follow the bumper stickers that say "I would rather be a Kooter than a Hooter". One of my all time favorite places is a small local place called Kooter Brown's, they are located in Pensacola Florida.

Kooter Brown's is a small restaurant that is a local place, that serves the typical food that you might associate with watching a football game. As a matter of fact that is the point behind this hidden treasure. It is meant to be a small place where people can come in and have a bite to eat and watch their favorite sporting event, no matter where you sit in this place you can see a television, and if you come in and wish to watch a certain event, all you have to do is request it, and they will either seat you in a place where you can see it, or turn the channel. If you are true sports fan you will also love the decor of the place, they have sports photos, banners and jerseys hanging all over the restaurant. Many professional and college teams are represented but there are also a good amount of local teams supported with their photos on the walls.

Now on to the good stuff, the food. If you find that you want to try out some of their Pre Game Warm Ups, I would have to tell you to try out the Fried Pickles. I love fried pickles and have tried my fair share of different versions, but this is by far my favorite. Most of the time when I go the person that I am with has to be careful before I eat all that they bring us. I would also highly recommend their chicken wings as a main course, my personal favorite is the honey BBQ, but I know that everyone's taste is different. I do have to admit though that they have very good wings, I usually don't care for wings but I keep finding myself craving Kooter's wings.

One thing to keep in mind is that when big games are being played the place is much more packed than when it's an off time for sports. Weekdays during the afternoon is one of the best times to go if you want to avoid the crowds. Plus if you go during the afternoon you can take advantage of the lunch specials. So now if you ever see someone with a bumper sticker in Pensacola that reads "I'd rather be a Kooter than a Hooter" you know what they are talking about.

6014 N 9th Ave 
Pensacola, FL
 32504
 ‎
(850) 484-3100

Witches, Wizards, Ghosts, Monster, and the Headless Horseman!

Yes I know that I have not been posting at all in the past month. But I promise I have a really good reason. I was in Atlanta for a while, and then took a couple weeks to travel down to Orlando. I went to Universal Studios and Disney World. I know you would think that I would get tired of heading down there, but I always turn into a big kid when I head down there. And this time it was even better.

Since its getting close to Halloween the parks were either having or getting ready for their Halloween parties. Disney has the Headless Horseman than rides through the Magic Kingdom at their party, and even though it is not as cool as years ago when we raced through its still something to see. And I can never get tired of the Harry Potter area at Islands of Adventure at Universal, and what better way to get in the Halloween mood that to see the Beetlejuice show at Studios?

Anyway I am trying to get caught up on all my work and editing photographs that I took, and then I promise I will get back to posting. In the mean time keep an eye on my youtube channel because I am finished up trying to upload all the videos from my trip earlier in the year and from this past trip. It should only be a few days before I'm posting again. Yay!

Saint Michael's Cemetery - Pensacola Florida

I know that when most people think of cemeteries they either think of ghosts or somewhere creepy. While this is the case for many cemeteries there are some like Saint Michael's Cemetery in Pensacola Florida that are different. This cemetery is located in the downtown historic district of Pensacola. It's an eight acre cemetery that has people of all faiths resting in it. The cemetery was officially designated a cemetery in 1807, which makes it a very old cemetery and a sort of a museum in its own way.

If you plan to visit this cemetery during your visit to Pensacola there are some things to remember. This is a cemetery and while visitors are welcome from about 9AM to sunset you should be respectful. This is a final resting place for people and many people have loved ones that have been laid to rest in this cemetery, show them the same respect that you want your loved ones shown.

That being said that are some interesting tombstones that you can see while walking through the cemetery, some are just random and may draw your attention. When I walk through the cemetery I can always find some interesting tombstones that I don't remember having seen before. You can walk through the cemetery and explore on your own, or you can go their website and look at a self guided tour. They have some graves that could be of interest. Some of these graves include descendents of the Washington family, seamen from the Gertrude, former mayors of Pensacola, as well as notable places in the cemetery that are not graves, and it will show you some of the oldest marked graves in cemetery and where they are located.

If you plan on visiting this cemetery make sure to check the weather before you head out there, its best not
to go on a day that it has been raining as the ground can get a little soggy and wet. This might not make the trip as pleasant as it could be for you. Like I said before its a good idea to be respectful when you visit the cemetery while its a historic place that should not be missed its still a place that should be shown respect. When you visit you can take as many photos as you want and take as much time as you want before leaving, but you must leave before sunset. While some people will try to visit the cemetery at night it is not allowed and if you are caught it will be viewed as trespassing, these laws are in place to help ensure visitor's safety and to help keep the cemetery from being vandalized. You can however walk around the outer fence to look at the cemetery at night if you want, but remember to be safe when doing this.

If are interested in finding out more about the cemetery or seeing the self guided tour you can visit their website. 

Goofy Golf - Pensacola Florida

The Dinosaur From Course 1

We all have those fond memories of places we use to visit and things that we use to do as kids. For me one of those memories is that of Goofy Golf located in Pensacola Florida. Goofy Golf is a small place that you can go to play put put. There are two courses and they don't have the typical theme that most places these days have. When I was little I use to always ask my parents if Goofy Golf was open, the reason was that they were not open at all times of the year so I was thrilled when they were open and I could go and take some swings. While this little place has changed through the years and it does not seem as new and sparkly as it once did to me, (or perhaps its always been that way but I'm older now) it still holds the same appeal and love as it always did.

There are still two courses and they still hold the same interest with funky characters at each turn. In one course you can start with the Mad Hatters Hat, and work your way through a pumpkin head, cemetery, octopus (this one always took me forever to get), skee ball which looks like a skee ball game, spook house, a tiki hut, a cave, grandmother's house, the dinosaur this one was always my favorite he use to be orange but they have since painted him green I still miss the orange version, da bear who is wearing what looks a lot like a Chicago Bears jersey, shoe, hollywood, candy lane, gator one of my other favorites as a kid the eyes of the gator light up and the mouth opens and closes, chinese dragon, hat and then finally the lion's den.

The Owl From Course 2

If you want to go on the second course you will start with Humpty Dumpty this is a classic, then go on to space battle, cogsworth, sky rocket, captain james, shrek this one was not there when i was little it was added on, lighthouse, perisa, the knight, wormy one my favorites as a kid but I think I just liked to play on the worm, ancient greece, owl, slow poke who has been repainted to look a lot like a koopa trooper from
Mario, Koopa's Castle from Mario, roswell, secret garden, graffiti ramp, and then you can finish up with the igloo.

While I still love both course course two has taken a few more turns and changes over the years so I prefer the first course. They are both still a ton of fun and whenever I go there even now I have to do both courses. It's not the newest or the fanciest of places but it's different and something that you won't find other places, this is the  original Goofy Golf and I don't care if it sounds silly I still think that its something that the entire family can enjoy. If you live in town and have never been or if you are just visiting I would recommend this place. They usually aren't too busy but if you can go in the afternoon or on a weekend you are less likely to run into crowds. If you are looking for one course the second course is a little easier than the first one, in my opinion but I would still recommend if you have the time doing both.

They also have a small arcade and batting cages as well as a couple pool tables that you can use.

Slow Poke From Course 2

Phone Number: 850-456-6794

Address: 3924 W Navy Blvd  Pensacola, FL 32507

Hours:  Mon-Fri 2PM - 10PM 

            Sat&Sun 12Noon - 10PM 

 Four years and older $5 for one course or $8 for both

Three years and under free

St. Petersburg Museum of History - St. Petersburg Florida

A few years ago I went on a trip with a friend and he insisted that we head down to St. Petersburg. One of the things that we did while we were there was head to the St. Petersburg Museum of History. From the outside it's a pretty small unassuming building and more than likely doesn't get a lot of traffic from tourists. I love museums so of course I was all for seeing what it was like. When I first walked in I wasn't really expecting much but to my surprise I ended up really the museum.

Replica of the Benoist Airboat

It's not that big, but that doesn't mean that if you decide you want to see it  that you shouldn't make sure that you give yourself plenty of time. They have a ton of great exhibits and artifacts and always have some sort of temporary exhibit on display. I personally like a few things that stood out, the The World's First Commercial Airline is an exhibit that always stays at the museum. It has a lot of information and artifacts but it included a full sized replica that works, of the Benoist Airboat, which I found very interesting.

There are little things throughout the museum that are fun, including a figure of what the height of the average man was during a certain time frame. It's fun to stand up all your friends next to it and see how they measure

The Sarcophagus of the Mummy

up. I'm sure that for most grown people they will be taller than the figure, I was surprised to see they weren't all that tall. I have to admit that my favorite piece in the entire museum was a mummy and the sarcophagus that belongs to the mummy. This 3,000 year old mummy was the highlight of my trip to the museum. I have always been interested in these things and found it wonderful that I got to see one in person. Actually I was surprised that the sarcophagus was not behind a glass case or anything at all, it was just sitting out next to the display case that holds the actual mummy. I could have leaned up against it or touched it if I had wanted to. (Although let's be honest, that would be more than a little creepy and I had no desire to touch another person's used coffin).

In all the museum has been around for 90 years and has it's own history it was founded in 1920 as the St. Petersburg Memorial Historical Society. In 1922 the museum moved to the site where it is currently located, and has been there every since. With over 30,000 artifacts it will hold your attention and is well worth the visit. Visitors can take advantage of self guided tours or of guided tours if wanted. Visit the museum's website for more information.

Admission

General admission: $12 Senior citizens 60 and up: $9 Students with ID: $6 Children 8-17: $6 Children under 8: FREE

Hours

Tuesday - Saturday 10 AM- 5 PM

Closed on Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year's Day

Old Town Alabama - Montgomery Alabama

Old Town Alabama is one of the many things that is in Montgomery that can often be overlooked by the traveler. However this particular historic tour is something that I think everyone should make the time to see. While it is considered a tour you do not have to actually go with a tour group to see all the buildings and sites on the tour. You can do a self guided tour. When you buy your tickets you will be given a map of the sites included in your ticket. What I found very interesting is that they have people in costumes that are placed throughout the tour and you can stop and talk to them and ask questions, and the are very informative. You can also leave and come back throughout the day if you need to take a break or go get something to eat and come back.

I do recommend making sure that you check the weather when you are planning to go because this is an outdoor tour. While you can go inside many of the buildings you will be walking from one to another and they are not always that close together. They also have some gardens that are around some of the old homes and those are worth looking at, especially if you have hit the right time of year so the flowers are in bloom. I found when I went that it was nice to go see a few of the buildings and then find a cool place to sit. Me and the person that I was with were actually lucky enough to be able to find a cool place where someone that worked there was,
so we were talking with him and asking him questions and learned a lot. It was really something that I enjoyed. There are all kinds of little things that you can learn by asking a lot of questions if you aren't too shy.

You are free to roam in and out of all the buildings and can look at your own pace but the Ordeman
House is the only one that you have to have a guided tour of. That is included in your admission so it is not extra, but I would make sure that you look to see what times the tours are when you get your tickets and do it. The inside is amazing, but the outside and the garden are even better. If you are planning to try and see all the buildings and sites then I would make sure that you have the ablity to go for an entire day. It's very nice and relaxing and the more time you have and the better the weather is the more fun you will have. It's also a good idea to make sure that you wear clothes that are comfy and shoes for walking. It's not like a hike would be but it's a fair amoung of walking.

Overall this was something that I though might be nice, but it was much better than I thought it would be, and I wish that I had alloted more time to see the tour. I plan on going back and seeing the tour in a more relaxed timeframe, and I recommend that should you find yourself in the Montgomery area you make sure that you check out this tour, and bring your camera.

Hours are Mon.-Sat. 9AM-4PM last ticket sold at 3PM Mon.-Fri. and 2:30PM on Sat.
Closed Sundays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year's Day
Admission is $10 for adults and children are $5, children under 6 are free

The list of complete buildings on the tour can be found at The Old Town Alabama's Website.

Alabama Shakespeare Festival - Montgomery Alabama

The Alabama Shakespeare Festival is located in Montgomery Alabama. It's something that many people around the south have heard of, but few have actually been there and fewer know the history behind this great treasure. The Festival was orginally located in Aniston Alabama and was in a high school and only ran plays six weeks out of the year. In the early 80s the festival faced financial problems, which is when the new building was built in Montgomery on a 250 acre park, by a lover of the arts. Thus creating the Shakespeare Festival that we know today. This Festival will show about 14 different plays each year and at least three will be some of Shakespeare's works, the other stages will perform other classics from writers such as Shaw, Chekhov, Wilder, and many more.

I myself have been to this Festival two times, when I was younger and once when I was older. The

first two trips that I took, were as school trips and I had fun but didn't truly appreciate it until I was a

little older. The building itself is something to see, but also the grounds. The festival sits on 250 acres of land that is a site to see just driving to the stages. The park is open from dusk until dawn every day, and well worth seeing and it's a great place to picnic and even bring your dog, (but dogs must be on a leash). The normal rules do apply, things like do not harm the wildlife, or mess up the pieces of art that are on the property, pick up after yourself, things that are not only rules but just the right things to do. It's a good idea to make sure that you check the weather schedule before heading out as the more beautiful the day the better.

It's easy to purchase tickets if you wish to see a show at the Festival it's best to contact them through their website. However a few things that you should note, children under the age of six are not permitted in the shows, there might be a show at some point for children but this rule is to ensure the performers safety and the patrons enjoyment of the show. Casual attire is what a lot of people wear to the shows they attend, a wide range of attire can be seen when you go. However the times that I went I worn a casual dress, and felt comfortable and thought it was appropriate, so I would recommend nice, but casual. If you are interested to learn more about the performance or ask the actors any questions you might want to know that after each afternoon performance there is a short question and answer with the cast. I had the pleasure of going to a show that had this and I found out so much about the performances. If you want to know even more about the festival you can book a behind the scenes tour. You should contact the box office to find out when it is available and pricing, I have always wanted to do that, but have not had the chance to yet. Seeing a show here is something that I would highly recommend to anyone.


The Alabama Shakespeare Festival website will have all the information on tickets and shows.