Who says Orlando is for kids? Certainly not me. My friends don’t think so either which is why I’ve written a series of posts about my recent trip to Orlando to help them prepare for their upcoming trips. Below is a helpful guide to plan your visit.

Links:

• Disney’s Magic Kingdom
• Disney’s Epcot
• Disney’s Hollywood Studios
• Disney’s Animal Kingdom
• Universal’s Islands of Adventure / Wizarding World of Harry Potter
• Downtown Disney

Planning Tips:

• Purchase tickets through Undercover Tourist. They are a certified discount reseller of Disney World / Universal Studio tickets.
• Plan what you want to do ahead of time. Hopper tickets or no hopper tickets? It completely depends on what you want to do and how much time you want to spend in each park. K and I got hopper tickets.
• Check for Extra Magic Hour days at each Disney park. We actually avoided parks on the days with Extra Magic Hours because they’re known to be more crowded.
• Mobile Apps – Download Undercover Tourist or Disney World app for wait times

Travel Accommodations:

• Hotel – K and I booked a room at the Embassy Suites because they offer free parking, complimentary breakfast and a shuttle to and from the Disney parks. While it seemed appealing, the hotel was extremely old and outdated and the shuttles didn’t come as often as we liked. We ended up renting a car and paying to park in the Disney lots. ES also did not have a shuttle to Universal Studios, so we drove and parked in their lot for $15.
• Flight – We found a pretty good deal on Virgin. We used Hipmunk to track ticket prices and purchased when prices were low.
• Car – I booked through Costco Travel. I checked Hotwire, Priceline, and all other deal sites, but nothing could beat the prices at Costco. The Disney resort also houses a few car rental shops in case you wanted to rent a car for the day (i.e. go to Universal for Harry Potter World!).
• Transportation between Disney World parks – Travelling from park to park is extremely convenient in Disney World. So efficient that K and I were able to do 3 parks in a single days. Here’s Disney’s transportation map.
  • Monorail – The Disney monorail travels to and from the Transportation and Ticket Center (TTC), Magic Kingdom, Epcot, Contemporary Resort, Grand Floridian and Polynesian Resort.
  • Complimentary Shuttle Busses – For all other parks, you can take Disney’s free shuttle busses which come every 5-15 minutes to each park and Disney resort.
  • Ferry – K and I didn’t get a chance to ride on the ferry, but this will take you to the Magic Kingdom, Epcot and Hollywood Studios
  • Parking – Daily parking is $14 (as of Dec 2012) and each pass comes with in and out privileges, meaning that you could technically drive to each park if you wanted.  The only park you can’t exactly drive to is the Magic Kingdom. To go to MK, you’ll need to park at the TTC and take the monorail over.

you might also like...

On our first night in Orlando, K and I headed for Downtown Disney to try out the Food and Wine Festival Kiosks–Amuse Bouche and Cheese and Sweets. Disney World took the 2 most popular stands from the 2012 Epcot Food and Wine Festival and made them regulars in Downtown Disney. Of all the food we consumed during our trip, Amuse Bouche was by far the best. I only wished Downtown Disney was more convenient so we could eat here more often!

Amuse Bouche

The food was so tasty and affordable! K and I ordered one of each for $13. The favorite of the bunch was the grilled beef skewer–flavorful, tender and light.

• Grilled Beef Skewer with Chimichurri Sauce and Boniato Puree ($5)
• Shrimp Ceviche, Fried Plantains and Cilantro ($4.25)
• Pork Slider with Pineapple Chutney and Spicy Mayonnaise ($3.25)

Cheese and Sweets

We only ordered the cheese fondue at this stand. It was delish, but there wasn’t enough bread. K and I ended up having to drink the leftover cheese, but hey, we’re not complaining.

• Cheese Fondue with Sourdough Bread ($3.25)

On my next trip to Orlando, I’m definitely planning around this festival because this was just a taste and I want more!

you might also like...

If you’re planning a trip out to Orlando, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal’s Islands of Adventure is a must. I am a huge Disney fan, but I will admit that Harry Potter world is the most impressive theme park I’ve ever seen. The detail put into this park is exactly how it’s described in the book–from the food to Moaning Myrtle’s voice in the bathroom to Hogwarts itself.

The town is based off of Hogsmead which is a town described in book 3, Prisoner of Azkaban. The town houses familiar shops such as the Three Broomsticks, Honeydukes, Olivander’s and Zonko’s Joke Shop. The facade of the town looks unreal, like someone pulled you out of Orlando, Florida and into a Harry Potter movie. In the distance, you can see Hogwarts almost like a backdrop, but really, it contains the most innovative ride I’ve ever been on.

Few tips about the Universal Studios:

• Universal Studios has 2 parks – Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Florida (If you’re an adult, you only want to go to Islands of Adventure)
• Wizarding World of Harry Potter is in Islands of Adventure
• K and I only bought passes to Islands of Adventure (which can be done is less than a day)
• If you’re planning to read Harry Potter before your visit, you only need to get through half of book 3
• You don’t even need to be familiar with Harry Potter to enjoy this park
• Unfortunately, there are no free fastpasses at Universal so be prepared to wait in lines. The Express passes are $30+ and may actually be worth the extra cost to cut lines.
• Quick tip: Harry Potter World is busiest in the morning. If you want to avoid lines and crowds, come back in the evening when most families made their way to Universal’s other park.

Attractions:

Pretty much, the whole Wizarding World of Harry Potter is an attraction. Though small, K and I spent almost the whole day here perusing the shops and window displays. Few things to look out for:

• Honeydukes – I easily spent $40 here buying chocolate frogs, Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans, chocolate wands and candy floss.
• Zonko’s Joke Shop – This is a fun place for souvenirs like a Sneakoscope or Extendible Ears.
• Olivander’s – K and I found a line outside Olivander’s and decided to hop in without knowing what it was for. After about 30 minutes, we were taken into Olivander’s wand shop for an experience. Olivander chose 1 lucky person from the group (me) and had me test out 3 wands similar to what Harry did in book 1. I killed a pot of tulips and rattled a bunch of shelves before I finally found my match. For a price of $30, I could have purchased that wand as a keepsake, but decided to pass.
• Hogwarts – The school not only houses the most amazing ride ever, it’s also a tour. While waiting in a ridiculously long line, you’re able to meet your favorite characters–Harry, Ron and Hermione–in the library, see the sorting hat and walk through a corridor of talking portraits.
• Filtch’s Emporium of Confiscated Goods – Come here to purchase your favorite Harry Potter scarf or cape.

Rides:

• Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey – I’ll admit that I was extremely nervous waiting in line through Hogwarts for this ride. I had no clue what to expect. Fast speed? Big drops? The answer is neither. To my surprise, it easily became the best ride I’ve ever been on. I don’t want to give all the secrets away, but I’ll describe it as a mixture of a Disney Fantasyland ride and Soarin’ Over California. I loved it so much, K and I found ourselves on this ride 5 times! In order to enjoy the experience, you have to store your things in one of their free lockers. This part of the wait is pretty disorganized, so store your things quickly and continue on throughout the mansion.
• Dragon Challenge – This light-weight roller coaster offers 2 different experiences which are weaved together. When waiting in line, you get to choose which dragon you want to ride.
• Flight of the Hippogriff – K and I skipped this family-friendly roller coaster.
• The Amazing Adventure of Spiderman – There are other things to do/see outside of Harry Potter World within Islands of Adventure. This award-winning ride is also a must. It’s similar to the Forbidden Journey ride without the twists and turns.
• The Incredible Hulk – This is by far the scariest-looking ride I’ve seen at a theme park. Luckily, K didn’t force me to join him.

Eats:

On to my favorite part about this park, the food! Pasties, butterbeer, pumpkin fizz. It’s all here.

• Three Broomsticks – They don’t have the Hogwarts dining hall in the park, but this is the 2nd best thing to it. This restaurant serves meat pasties, shepherds pie, fish n’ chips and giant roasted turkey legs. K and I actually had lunch AND dinner here since it’s the only real restaurant in Harry Potter world. We tried the pasties, shepherds pie, BBQ plate and fish n’ chips. My favorite of all 4 was the shepherds pie, flavorful ground beef topped with whipped mashed potatoes and a bechamel sauce. Here is also where you can order a cup of FROZEN BUTTERBEER! This drink is the most amazing invention, frozen cream soda with a hint of butterscotch. Don’t get the cold butterbeer, get the frozen version. We also tried the pumpkin fizz, but butterbeer is a thousand times better.
  Quick tip: Keep your eyes out for the shadows of elves working in the restaurant.

Hope you enjoyed my very thorough recap of Universal’s Islands of Adventure!

you might also like...

K and I spent the least amount of time at Animal Kingdom mainly because we didn’t know if we had time to make it to the largest of the 4 parks. On day 3 of our 4-day hopper pass, we managed to find a few hours and hopped on the free Disney shuttle to check it out. Here are the highlights:

Attractions:

• Kilimanjaro Safaris – This is a rather impressive safari built on acres of land filled with tons of animals. You almost forget that you’re in Orlando when riding through this African landscape.
• It’s Tough to be a Bug

Rides:

• Expedition Everest – This is Orlando’s version of the Matterhorn, but it’s so much more fun!
• Dinosaur – Dinosaur is Orlando’s version of Indiana Jones. It’s a shame they haven’t moved Indiana over to Orlando. The dinosaur ride seems a bit generic, but the experience is the same.

Eats:

• Sadly, K and I didn’t get a chance to eat at this park. We ended up taking the shuttle back to the Magic Kingdom for another roasted pork shank at Gaston’s Tavern. Though I did read that Yak and Yeti is good.

you might also like...

Studios celebrates the Golden Age of film making. The movie references at this park are dated and most likely unrecognizable to most children, but the main attractions here are the thrill rides. Quick tip: this is a park you won’t need a full day for. Come here in the morning and finish the day at another park.

Attractions:

• Beauty and the Beast-Live on Stage
• Fantasmic
• Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights – This was my absolute most favorite thing to see in all the Disney World parks. Disney decorated all of the Avenue of the Americas in thousands of lights. Every 10-15 minutes, the lights would “dance” to a Christmas song. Unfortunately, this is only around during the holidays, but it’s definitely a must see.

Rides:

• Aerosmith’s Rockin’ Roller Coaster – This is similar to California Screamin’ without the big drops.
• Twilight Zone Tower of Terror
• The Great Movie Ride – The movies in this ride are a bit out-dated, but the act the castmember plays is pretty fun.
• Toy Story Mania
• Star Tours

Eats:

• Pretzel Garden – This is the only kiosk I recommend at Hollywood Studios. They have the cheese and jalapano filled pretzels here!

you might also like...

During my first visit to Orlando at the age of 9, I thought Epcot was the most boring park in all of Disney World. But in my recent return, I couldn’t have been more wrong. I probably appreciate this park because it’s so different than what we have in Anaheim. The park is designed in a hourglass figure and is divided into 2 sides-the Future World and the World Showcase. The park celebrates the innovations in technology and culture and is said to never be complete as long as the world is introducing and testing new materials and systems. My favorite part of this park is that all of the employees in the World Showcase are from the countries in which they represent. How legit is that?

Attractions:

• World Showcase – The World Showcase walks you through 11 countries around the world (Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, the American Adventure, Japan, Morocco, France, UK and Canada). Each country has restaurants and cafes representing the native cuisines. I’ve seen adults turn the World Showcase into a drinking game, ordering an alcoholic beverage in each country. In true culturebite fashion, K and I tried to eat our way through the countries.
• IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth – This attraction is a light and water show at the center of the World Showcase. You can pretty much enjoy this attraction from anywhere around the lake. This is supposed to be Disney World’s equivalent to World of Color, but I enjoyed the latter so much more.

Rides:

• Test Track – Similar to Radiator Spring in California Adventure, this Chevrolet sponsored ride allows you to design your own sports car and race it around a track. This ride is Epcot’s newest addition to the Future World and has long wait times.
  Tip: Grab a fast pass to completely skip the “design a car” phase of the line. 
• Mission:SPACE – This ride “Orange” is so intense, I’m not sure my body liked it. In this ride, you’re broken into groups of 5 with each person owning a responsibility in this mission to Mars. You sit in this tiny simulator in which they pump G-forces so you get the feeling of entering space. I got a little disoriented during the ride and had to close my eyes for a break. If you don’t want an experience this intense, you could opt for the “Green” version of the ride.
• Battleship Earth – This Siemen’s sponsored ride is the icon of Epcot. Inside the dome, you’re taken (very slowly) through the history of mankind. This one can be a snoozer, but it’s something you have to do at least once.
• Maelstrom – This is a short ride that takes you through the history of Norway in the World Showcase.

Eats:

• Kringla – I found this little Norwegian bakery to serve the best food in all of Epcot. Cultural classic like rice creams, school bread and lerden bestes can be found here. My personal favorite was the rice cream – a rich rice pudding topped with strawberry preserves. Super delish and it was only $2.99!
• Crepes de Chefs de France – This kiosk in the France Pavilion serves dessert crepes at $4.50. K and I didn’t make it here, but it was on my list and it had good reviews
• Coffee Kiosk in Italy – I added this to my list because I knew finding a good latte in Disney was not going to be an easy feat. Using common sense, I figured the coffee in Italy would be worth a try (mainly because the employees in each country are natives from these countries). First thing I noticed was the price. It was the most expensive latte I’ve seen in all 4 parks – $5. The taste? Pretty darn good for a Disney park.
• Tip: I know these posts are geared more for adults, but if you’re looking for character sightings, check out the Akershus Royal Restaurant in Norway. They offer character dining here and seems to be less crowded than the other character dining spots at the other parks.

you might also like...

Here I am in my mid-20s and still completely in love with the magic of Disney. There’s something about it that make me feel all warm and cuddly inside and believe that everything ends in “happily ever after.”

Being native Californians, K and I are frequent visitors to Disneyland. We thought, “Why don’t we try something different and go to Disney World?” (You’d be surprised how different the experiences are.) In just 2 weeks, we booked our hotel, flight and park tickets and headed off to the happiest place on earth. Within those 2 weeks we researched everything there is to know about the parks–food, wait times, attractions, etc. And because most people I know share the same love for Disney as me, I thought I’d come back to theculturebite to share.

Magic Kingdom is a lot like Disneyland but with fewer rides and more attractions. The park is iconic and they’ve made a few upgrades that are worth the visit alone.

Attractions:

• Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom (must do!) - This alone was worth the trip to the Magic Kingdom. Sorcerers is an interactive scavenger hunt around Fantasyland, Adventureland, Frontierland and Main Street. Basically, 7 villains are trying to take over the Magic Kingdom and it’s your job to defeat them. You’ll receive a pack of random spell cards by the Fire Station before Main Street as your weapon. With a map and key in tow, you’ll unlock secret portals hidden within the Kingdom to fight the villains.
• Mickey’s PhilharMagic - This is a fun 4-d music show where Donald tries out the Sorcerer’s Hat and the PhilharMagic Orchestra gets a bit out of hand.
• Main Street Electrical Parade - A truly magical, light show parade. They don’t have this in Disneyland anymore, so this is a must see.
• The Magic, the Memories and You - Immediately after the electric parade, you divert your attention over to Cinderella’s castle for a visual light show projected onto the castle. You’ll see scenes and hear songs from your favorite Disney classics. Think World of Color, but instead of water, they use the castle as the backdrop.
• Fireworks – The evening events wrap up with the fireworks show. Even in Disneyland, this is one attraction I cannot miss.

Rides:

The rides in the Magic Kingdom are also at Disneyland in Anaheim. Though, you’ll notice subtle nuances within each ride.

• Space Mountain
• Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger Spin
• Haunted Mansion
• Peter Pan’s Flight
• Pirates of the Caribbean
• Splash Mountain

Eats:

• Be Our Guest Restaurant in new Fantasyland
  Lunch: No reservations needed / Can eat in Rose Gallery (K and I did this)
  Dinner: Reservations needed / Rose Gallery closed but the Beast’s Library open
• Gaston’s Tavern in new Fantasyland
  Roasted Pork Shanks – Need I say more?
  Le Fou’s Brew – Frozen apple juice with a hint of toasted marshmallow topped with a passion fruit-mango foam. This tastes exactly how it sounds. I wasn’t much of a fan.
  Cinnamon Rolls – The cinnamon rolls here are serious and the size of half-a-loaf of bread. Of course K and I had 2 of these during our trip (with a side of extra frosting and caramel).
• Note: Sadly, the corn dogs are not the same in Orlando.

you might also like...

K and I recently returned from 5 whole days in the happiest place on Earth… Orlando! I had such a good time on my trip, I wanted to share my experience and some helpful tips with you on theculturebite.

Being from California and a regular at the Disney parks in Anaheim, it was hard to understand the difference between Disneyland and Walt Disney World other than its size. WDW spans across 30,000 acres of land and consists of 4 parks – Magic Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, Epcot and Animal Kingdom. When planning for our trip, our biggest questions were:

“What Disneyland attractions are in Disney World?”
“What makes Disney World different than Disneyland?”
“Do I need to visit all Disney World parks?”

With those questions in mind, I built a grid of all Disneyland / California Adventure attractions and mapped them to the corresponding Disney World park. I’ve also listed out the current unique attractions at each Disney World park.

If you were to ask me which park I’d recommend, I don’t think I could answer. I love each park in its own way. I love Disneyland because I grew up there. I also think the biggest draw of Disneyland and California Adventure are the thrill rides. There are so many between both parks that you could spend an entire day visiting each ride only once. If you’re interested in the entertainment and activities, Orlando’s Walt Disney World is for you. The new Fantasyland in the Magic Kingdom is a must see as is Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom and the Main Street Electrical Parade.

Current Unique Attractions in Walt Disney World

Magic Kingdom

Magic Carpets of Aladdin
The Pirates League
Tinker Bell’s Magical Nook
Country Bear Jamboree
Mickey’s PhilharMagic
Brave “Play and Greet” (Fairytale Garden)
The Barnstormer featuring Goofy as the Great Goofini
Casey Jr. Splash ‘N’ Soak Station
Monster’s Inc. Laugh Floor
Stitch’s Great Escape!
Walt Disney’s Carousel of Progress
Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom

Read more about attractions at Magic Kingdom here.

Hollywood Studios

The Great Movie Ride
Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular!
ABC Sound Studio
Lights, Motors, Action! Extreme Stunt Show
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids: Movie Set Adventure
Studio Backlot Tour
Voyage of the Little Mermaid
Walt Disney: One Man’s Dream
The Legend of Captain Jack Sparrow
Rock ‘n’Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith
Citizens of Hollywood

Read more about attractions at Hollywood Studios here.

Epcot

Advanced Training Lab
American Heritage Gallery
Bijutsu-kan Gallery
Circle of Life: An Environmental Fable
Disney Phineas & Ferb: Agent P’s World Showcase Adventure
Gallery of Arts and History
Gran Fiesta Tour Starring the Three Caballeros
House of the Whispering Willows
IllumiNations: Reflections of Earth
ImageWorks
Impressions de France
Journey into Imagination with Figment
Living with the Land
Maelstrom
Mission: SPACE
O Canada!
Reflections of China
Spaceship Earth
The American Adventure
The Circle of Life
The Seas with Nemo and Friends
Universy of Energy: Inventing the Wonders of the Future
Kidcot Fun Stops
Mexico Folk Art Gallery
The Spirit of Norway
Stave Church Gallery

Read more about attractions at Epcot here.

Animal Kingdom

Discovery Island Trails
The Tree of Life
Festival of the Lion King
Kilimanjaro Safaris
Pangani Forest Exploration Trail
Wild Africa Trek
Harambe Village
Wildlife Express Train
Habitat Habit!
Maharajah Jungle Trek
Flights of Wonder
Cretaceous Trail
Dino-Sue
Fossil Fun Games
Kids Discovery Clubs
Primeval Whirl
The Boneyard
TriceraTop Spin
Affection Section
Conservation Station
The Oasis Exhibits

Read more about attractions at Animal Kingdom here.

you might also like...

Rated: ♣♣♣

As you may have heard, California is saying goodbye to foie gras on June 30, 2012. To celebrate our last experience with the beloved foie gras, we dined at Bisou in the Castro a day before the ban went into effect for an un-foie-gras-table meal. Haha, see what I did there?

We ordered the foie gras tasting menu complete with an appetizer, entree and dessert ($75/p). Five foie gras’ later, I’m happy to say my goodbyes to the little fatty goose livers.

Foie Gras Pavé – Cool, buttery pavé de foie gras on toast and drizzled with an orange syrup. This was amazingly delicious.

Beef Duo – Filet mignon topped with a piece of torched foie gras and shaved truffles and beef bourguignon with a piece of seared foie gras on top of a brioche bun. I almost quit halfway to save myself, but my greed got the best of me. I was a little relieved when I discovered the hidden pile of spinach hiding underneath the filet.

Shortcake w/Ice Cream – Foie Gras ice cream and two pieces of dense shortcake. At this point, I could not take any more. To top it off, I have no clue why anyone would think foie gras ice cream would taste delicious. The ice cream tasted like iron and there was no amount of raspberry sauce to overpower the taste. I was almost offended by this dish, but then K and I concluded that this was the perfect way to say goodbye to foie gras.

Other than the dessert, I think Bisou did a great job of celebrating foie gras with their tasting menu. But after this meal, I’ve learned that foie gras is best eaten in small increments.

Let me take a second to comment on the vibe of this restaurant. Bisou is much louder and trendier than its older but cuter sister restaurant ChouChou in Forrest Hill (which was sold to a new owner a few years ago). Decked out in purple padded walls and black booths, all the single people in the Castro are standing at the bar talking and laughing over the blaring club music. Though every time I come to Bisou, I feel very out of place. It could be because the owner seems to know, kiss and hug everyone in the restaurant but “grandma”  me and “grandpa” K. But K and I keep coming back, leaving satisfied.

you might also like...

The other weekend, I had a sudden strong urge to bake up a batch of granola. I don’t get it because I hardly ever eat granola, and when I do, it’s usually out of a package and made by companies like Nature Valley and Quaker Oats. I’m always low on snacks around the house and I figured granola would be a “healthy” alternative to chips and cookies. I grabbed a granola recipe that my mother filed away from the Plumpjack Resort in Squaw Valley up in Tahoe that she raved was the “best granola ever.” One quick look at the recipe and I saw butter, maple syrup, corn syrup, honey. Okay, this wasn’t going to be healthy, but I’ve got the recipe in my hand and now I’m committed. I didn’t have all of the ingredients so this was my adaptation.

Ingredients:

• – Cooking spray or butter
• 1 cup honey
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 4 cups rolled oats
• 1/2 cup unsweetened dried coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup pecan halves
• 1/2 cup whole raw almonds
• 1/4 cup millet
• 1/4 cup sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 pound mixed dried fruit (cherries, cranberries, raisins, currants, apricots, apples, etc.)

Instructions: Preheat oven to 300°. Prepare a cookie sheet with cooking spray or lightly coat with butter.

In a thick-bottomed pot, slowly bring the honey, butter, maple syrup and corn syrup to a boil. Boil the mixture for 5 minutes, watching it carefully as it can easily boil over.

Meanwhile, combine the dry ingredients, except for the dried fruit, in a large bowl. I didn’t have millet, sesame seeds and wheat germ, so I substituted in an extra cup of oats.

Pour hot syrup mixture over the dry ingredients, stirring carefully until completely combined. Pour granola mixture onto the prepared baking sheet and spread evenly.

Bake granola for about 45 minutes to 1 hour, until golden brown throughout, stirring every 10 to 15 minutes. Remove from oven and leave at room temperature to cool completely, stirring every 10 minutes to prevent it from forming one large, hard sheet.

Add dried fruit and toss to combine. I used golden raisins and dried cranberries, but I’m thinking dried apricots would be delish.

Store in an airtight container for up to three weeks.

you might also like...