TravelStream™ news feed for member bakasyonista on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/bakasyonista en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:36:50 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1256312160/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1256312160/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1256312160/tpod.html Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:36:50 -0400 Orlando - Where you can be a kid again!

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Orlando, Florida, United States

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Orlando, Florida, United States

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Orange City, Florida, United States

– Last night we planned to go to Sea World today but everybody was lazy to get up at 0800 so we went to Blue Spring instead to swim and snorkel.We arrived at Blue Spring around 1230. It was about 45 minutes drive from Orlando. We bought lunch from the concession stand. After lunch we walked through the forest on the boardwalk towards the end of Blue Spring. We saw a manatee joining the people who were already in the water. The manatee was really playful. The water was ice cold at first but our body eventually got adjusted to it. The place is beautiful. You can also kayak and water tubing. You don't even need to snorkel. There's an area where the water is clear and you can see a different school of fish like long nose gar, Florida largemouth bass and striped mullet. While swimming a park ranger came by and told everybody not to approach the manatee and said to stay about 50 feet away. If we don't follow the rule they will not allow swimming in the park that day and they will close that part of the park. Nobody wants the park close so everybody behaved. It got a little crowded because there was a group of teens who were there on a field trip. But  the kids still had fun swimming and jumping into the water.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1249957609/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1249957609/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1249957609/tpod.html Fri, 23 Oct 2009 11:28:20 -0400 Orlando - Where you can be a kid again!

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New York, United States

Déjà vu all over again!After our trip to Hawaii last year, I vowed not to fly with American Airlines anymore. Here's the link as to why: http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/6/1218951780/tpod.htmlAs a CitiMiles member I accumulated enough points towards free airfares for 3 people from NY to Orlando with a stopover in Miami and it is with American Airlines. I would love to travel straight flight and in any airline but AA. But for free airfare for three I can’t let it pass. There are six of us traveling. Grandma has a ticket voucher from AA so it works even better. Sonny  tried to buy an airline ticket for himself and Aly from AA but they were really expensive. He was able to get a decent price from Air Tran.I usually booked our tickets directly on the internet. Since I got my 3 tickets for free I have to go through a travel agent. In the travel confirmation that was emailed to me there were already seats assigned to us  so I didn’t bother getting us seats assignment on AA website. I should have double check it when I received our confirmation because when I checked it the night before our departure we didn’t actually have a seating arrangement.  Grandma is sick so she can’t travel with us.We left the house around 0545 and we arrived in La Guardia  Airport around 0730. Sonny dropped us (me, AC and Abi) off at AA while he parked the car with Aly.At checked- in they couldn’t seat all three of us together.  I have to talk to the agent at the gate. Sonny and Aly came over. They already checked-in. AirTran couldn’t seat them together either and there’s no way Aly, who is 8yo with Down Syndrome can be seated with strangers. The only two seats next to each other were on first class so that’s what they got. At AA gate counter we got 3 seats next to each other.Our flight left LGA at 0910 and arrived in Miami at around 1220. We have to go to the ticket counter at the gate to get us our seats assignment from Miami to Orlando. By the time we got there it was already 1230 and our connecting flight will start boarding at 1315. While I was in line I asked the kids to buy us lunch. The closes and quickest lunch was pizza. Just as we were finished with our lunch we started boarding at 1315. At around 1345 the airplane hasn’t left yet.  Then they made an announcement that there is an electrical failure that needed to be fixed. At around 1430 they let us all out of the airplane because the problem was bigger than they thought. I was so pissed! There was not even information given to us as to what we need to do. American Airlines is really unreliable and undependable. Outside the gate agent was helping someone that turned out to be forever. When it was finally my turn I was told that the crew was trying to repair the plane and our estimated departure time will be around 4pm. We’re supposed to be in Orlando at 1448. So I called Sonny to tell him the news but he already knew. He and Aly are already in Orlando.At 1515 AA made an announcement that the plane was fixed and started boarding. We took off around 1545 and arrived in Orlando around 1645. I called Sonny and told him that we had landed. He already picked up our car rental and checked us in our resort. I told him not to rush because we still have to pick up our luggage. When we got our third luggage, it was ripped and our snorkel masks containers were broken. I have to stop at the customer service at the airport next to the baggage claim and filed a report. They authorized me to buy another luggage and they will reimburse it with the same price as the damaged one.As I came out of the airport the Orlando heat greeted me. On the way to our resort it started pouring but the sun was still shining. Amazing! We’re staying at the Marriott Cypress Harbour. The location is beautiful. It is quiet and relaxing. I can’t believe Disney World is just nearby. We have a two bedrooms/ 2 baths villa with screened porch overlooking the lake.  As we get in, there is a laundry room to the left with full size washer and dryer. There is a full kitchen with cookware and tableware. To the right, is the guest bedroom with queen bed and full sized pull-out sofa and TV. The second bathroom is just outside. There’s a dining area that accommodate six people and a breakfast bar with three stools. The living room has a queen size sofa bed and TV with DVD player. The MBR has a king size bed, two-person Jacuzzi and separate shower. It also has its own TV. It is just lovely. It is truly a home away from home. Our room is within easy walking distance to the pool and the resort’s activity center with a nine-hole mini golf, 2 basketball courts, tennis court, etc. You can also go fishing in the lake. Just watch out for the alligators :-). In the evening we went to Downtown Disney. We had dinner at Wolfgang Puck Grand Café. We were told that the wait is between 30 to  45 minutes. It was fine with us. The last time we were in Orlando we wanted to eat here on our last day but it was raining hard so we end up eating in our resort in Port Orleans. While waiting for our table at Wolfgang Puck we went shopping at the nearby shops. We waited for 45 minutes but it’s all worth it. The food was really good.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1252087312/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1252087312/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1252087312/tpod.html Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:02:56 -0400 Orlando - Where you can be a kid again!

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Orlando, Florida, United States

I was surprised to see DS already dressed up before 0800. He said, "Let me guess you don't want to leave early because there’s no rope drop in SeaWorld". It’s true but SeaWorld is close that we can be there in 2 minutes.When we arrived at Sea World, we stopped by Guest Services window to inquire about dining reservation. They have no more seats for dinner with Shamu and for lunch at Sharks Underwater Grill we have to book it there directly when they open at 10am. There was already a long line in Manta ride. We bought an express pass for $19.99 for DS. He is the only one interested in riding the roller coasters. He has his own cell phone and he can call us when he is ready to meet us for lunch. We went to sea the sea turtles in the turtle point then proceeded to Stingray Lagoon where the girls were able to pet the sting rays. Then we went to Dolphin Cove. For $7.00 you get a tray to feed the turtle. DD1 wants to do it so we let her while we watch at the viewing area. After that, DS met us and we went to the underwater viewing area to see the Dolphins while DH went to make a reservation for lunch. We didn’t mind staying longer on this place because it was cool. We also went to see the manatee rescue then DS went to ride the Kraken and Journey to Atlantis while we went to Seaport Theater to see Elmo and Abby’s Treasure Hunt. The show was very entertaining. After the show DS met us outside the theater and we went to see the Penguins Encounter. Not only is the place cool to hang out but the exhibit was fascinating. On the way to Shamu Stadium we went to see the aquarium and partly to cool off. The aquarium was interesting. We went to see Believe in Shamu Stadium. The show was amazing. Then we went to lunch and Shark’s Underwater Grill. The food was really good and so is the service. I ordered NY strip and I really loved it. After lunch we stopped by Clydesdale Hamlet to see the horses then we went to see A’Lure…. the Call of the Ocean at the Nautilus Theater. The show was awesome. After the show we went to Shamu’s Happy Harbor and let the girls play and ride the kiddie rides while DS went to Wild Arctic. Then we went to Wild Arctic to meet DS but he was not there yet so we went in and travelled to the Wild Arctic on foot where we saw beluga whales, polar bear and walruses. When we were outside we got a call from DS. He was looking for us back at the Shamu’s Happy Harbor. He ran out of battery from his cell phone and he bought a phone card to call us. A lesson for him: to always charge his phone.J We had enough for the day and decided to go out for dinner. As soon as we left SeaWorld it started to rain. On the way to the restaurant it was really raining hard so we turned around and we went back to our resort and cooked dinner.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1250212738/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1250212738/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1250212738/tpod.html Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:11:36 -0400 Orlando - Where you can be a kid again!

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Orlando, Florida, United States

I wanted to arrive early to see the rope drop but it never happened. We saw Minnie, Tigger and Eeyore as we walked towards the sorcerer's hat. We already had Minnie's autograph and picture so we proceeded to lined up to have picture with Tigger and Eeyore. Then we headed to Pixar Place to ride the Toy Story Mania. We asked the CM if we can use our GAC and she let us in through the fast pass and we walked all the way inside. The ride was fun. We went to Sunset Blvd. to Rock n' Roller Ride. DD2 and I stayed behind and went shopping for souvenirs. Then we went to the Tower of Terror. DD2 was allowed in so I went in. You might say it's just an elevator ride but it was scary. Imagine the elevator going up quickly and stop suddenly then drop. It was indeed a tower of terror. DD2 cried towards the end of the ride. We must have scarred the kid for life. Then we took the Voyage of the Little Mermaid. It was okay. We wanted to take DD2 to Playhouse Disney Live but the show has already started. We went to get autograph of Annie and Leo from Little Einstein, Handy Manny and Quincy. Then we went to see High School Musical 3. After the show we went to lunch at the Hollywood Brown Derby. The food was good. The service was so-so. This lunch is a celebration of DS birthday. I did not order a customized birthday cake because when I called to order it was an answering machine and they want me to leave my phone number for them to call me back and I don't want to do that. I was informed I can order a birthday cake on the day we check in. For a small cake it was $20+. While eating the cake a CM came over with a phone and informed DS that he has a phone call. It was Goofy wishing him a happy birthday. They CM also let DD1 listen to Goofy’s birthday wishes. DS got a birthday button too. After lunch DH wanted to see Indiana Jones but decided not to because DD2 might not tolerate the loud sounds and heat. So we went to Star Tour. We used our GAC again and we were guided to the disabled entrance which was even faster than the fast pass. As soon as we got in DD2 refused to seat and started crying so I walked out with her. We waited in the shop. After the Star Tour the kids wanted to ride The Toy Story Mania again. What made this ride interesting for the kids and adult alike is, it is not only a ride but a game as well. You have to aim and shoot during the ride and you get points. After that it was time for the Block Party Bash. People already started lining up. It was so hot and the kids were not really interested to watch the parade. They said they've seen it before. They just want to go back to the Toy Story Mania. Ha ha ha. The heat was unbearable. We decided to go home. We've seen the Beauty and the Beast show before and seen the show on Broadway. The kids were not interested in watching the Fantasmic again. So we went home and cancelled our dinner reservation in Mama Melrose. Back at the resort, while I was napping, DH took the kids to MAZE.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1250130606/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1250130606/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1250130606/tpod.html Thu, 13 Aug 2009 00:30:24 -0400 Orlando - Where you can be a kid again!

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Orlando, Florida, United States

The last time we were in Florida we spent every day in the park from early morning extra magic hour to late firework shows. It was exhausting. By the time our vacation was over we needed another vacation. This time we made sure we have a rest day after park day. Today, we planned to explore Marriott Cypress Harbour. We thought we will walk quite a few distances to the pool so we prepared ourselves for that. We explored the lake in front of our building and learned that there are alligators in the lake but they don't come out of the water. I will not stay there especially at night to find out (lol). As we headed out to the pool we were surprise as to how close it was to our building. We were glad we don’t have to walk that far. I can’t swim today because the red flag is up J. I just stayed at the side of the pool until the heat was unbearable I went back to the room. AC went to MAZE (Marriott Activity Zone Experience).We had pork barbecue for lunch courtesy of my dearest husband (DH). The resort has a grill downstairs. After lunch we went to the mall to buy a luggage to replace the one that the airline ripped off. Then we stopped by Wal Mart to buy more groceries. We spent the rest of the evening watching TV.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1250037037/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1250037037/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/10/1250037037/tpod.html Wed, 12 Aug 2009 23:22:42 -0400 Orlando - Where you can be a kid again!

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Orlando, Florida, United States

Like any of our trips I always researched about the places we're going to visit and Orlando is no different even though this is not our first visit. I frequented the TA Orlando Forum and I learned a lot of tips.I signed up for mousesaver where they send you a monthly newsletter with valuable information. From time to time they also send an email about hot deals including hotel discounts.I also found out that undercovertourist.com has the cheapest theme park tickets. Their price includes tax and they don’t charge for shipping.  And since I subscribe to mousesaver newsletter I was able to get a link from them to uncercovertourist website that offer even lower price  for just being a mousesaver subscriber. I received my tickets 4 days after I ordered it online.When I planned our visit to WDW I printed out the calendar from www.wdwinfo.com. I like their calendar because it listed all the theme parks, park hours with the time of the parade and fireworks. I also printed out the calendar from Disney website so I know which days they have extra magic hours (those are the days we have to avoid because it is going to be more crowded) and what days they schedule Fantasmic (it’s not shown everyday now). I also checked out the red light/green light website. It shows the best days to visit each park. I scheduled our Disney Parks visit considering the above tips.Ninety days prior to our departure I was able to make our advance dinner reservations (ADR). I did not get the Fantasmic dinner package because the time that they have available when I called was at 1600 and nobody in our group eat dinner at 1600. Besides, we’ve seen the show before so it doesn’t matter if we get to see it this visit or not.Two weeks prior to our departure, I look up the Disney website calendar. And on the days that we planned to visit Epcot and Magic Kingdom have extra magic hours. I don’t know how it happened. It is hard to switch days now because I already made our ADRs.  Sonny said to not bother changing it. I still tried whenever I can but we can’t get ADRs.We arrived at Epcot around 0830. Aly has a "no expiration" park hopper card from 2003. I went to the ticket window to activate it. By 0900 they started letting people in. Of course those people who stayed in Disney Resorts were already in since 0800 because it’s an EMH day for them. As soon as we get in we saw Daisy so we stayed in line to get her autograph and have a picture taken with her. Abi and Aly have their autograph book and pen with them. I sent Sonny and AC to get a fast pass for Soarin’ and we will meet them there. On the way to Soarin’ I saw Epcot Character Spot. I learned from one of the Cast Members (CM) that Mickey and Minnie are inside including Pluto, Goofy and Donald Duck. The girls wanted to meet the Fab Five so we stayed in line. I called Sonny and told him to proceed to Test Track and we will meet them there. As soon as we get inside the Epcot Character Spot Aly was so excited to see Mickey and can’t help but scream Mickey’s name.  I was so impressed that she stayed in line and waited for her turn. After meeting the Fab Five I called Sonny. AC already went for the ride. We agreed to meet at the Spaceship Earth and we all travelled through time. After the ride the kids got the chance to email their adventure. We let the kids played then we left Spaceship Earth Pavillion and went to Guest Services. Sonny was not able to get a fast pass for Aly because they deny Aly’s card. It seems she did not enter the park with the card. We gave the card to the CM at Guest Relations and fixed it. Then I asked if we can get a Guest Assistance Card for Aly. They did not ask us for a doctor’s letter or any supporting documents. The CM gave us the card and it is good for all the Disney Parks for the duration of our stay and it includes everybody in the group.We went to The Land Pavilion to ride Soarin’ but we got there early so we went to see Circle of Life instead. It was not great but good enough to pass the time while waiting for our fast pass return at 1145 and it’s a good place to cool off. Then we’re off to Soarin’. I have fear of heights but it’s only a simulation ride so I thought it will be okay. Anyway, I told myself if Aly can ride so can I. Soarin is a hang glider simulation ride. As we started soaring I have to close my eyes. I was so scared. I am petrified than Aly. She was having a great time. When I opened my eyes I started to enjoy the view. As long as I don’t have to look down directly I am okay. I keep telling myself, “Eyes straight ahead”. There were times that I really have to close my eyes. It’s a good thing we’re on the third row. At least we’re not on top. Overall, the ride was awesome.By this time all of us were ready for lunch. Our lunch reservation was at Teppan Edo for 1300. At the time I made our reservation, Disney website only listed lunch and when I asked I was told they only open for lunch. But when I called back to change our reservation 2 weeks before we left for Orlando, I learned that they’re open for dinner too. But they’re all booked. We walked all the way to Japan. It was hot but bearable. At this time Aly refused to walk. Abi offered to carry her and Aly liked that. We saw Belle along the way. We stopped to get her autograph and pose for picture.  We also saw Jasmine and Aladdin but we were told they will break soon for lunch.Teppan Edo offered Hibachi style dining wherein they cook in front of you. Our chef came from Osaka, Japan. The food was really good.It was prickly hot walking along the World Showcase that we decided to just go home and cancel our dinner reservation in the Garden Grill. The heat was unbearable that we have to stop by China. The place was so cool. What a welcome treat. Glad we stopped by because the show, “Reflections of China” was awesome. It was informative. It felt like we have toured China and in just 12 minutes. We also stopped by Norway and rode the “Maelstrom”. It was a short boat ride with Norwegian theme. For me it’s not worth standing in line. We have GAC that we use in fast pass so we just walked up right to the boat launch. After the boat ride was a 5 minute movie about Norway. We waited longer for the movie than the boat ride. Others just walk pass through the theater. By this time we decided to stay in the park. Abi wanted to ride the Test Track but the line was really long even the line to get a fast pass. We went to Innoventions where the kids had a great time. We took part on recycling our household garbage with waste management. That was cool. The girls were also thrilled being able to make a paper out of recycling materials. The kids can’t get enough of this place and refused to leave. I told them if they want to do more rides we have to leave now. By this time, Abi does not want to ride Test Track so we went to Mission: Space. Aly is not tall enough for this ride. The CM directed me to Advance Training Lab to wait for the rest of the family. She gave me a pass to use if I wanted to ride later but I “pass”.  In Advance Training Lab we raced in mission space. Then we went to Expedition in mars where our mission was to rescue lost astronauts. That was really fun. Aly and I spent the rest of our time waiting in Space Base where Aly had a great time going up/down, in/out of the tunnel. After the ride AC and Abi wanted to race mission space so we let them. Then we went to the Universe of Energy and joined Ellen de Generes in her Energy Adventure. It was a 45 minute interesting attraction. We went to the Seas with Nemo and Friends and joined Turtle Talk with Crush. It was hilarious. Then we went to the Garden Grill for our dinner. Our reservation was for 1925. It was only 1900. The girls continued to talk about Innovention and wanted to go back there. Dinner was family style and the food was really good. Mickey, Pluto, Chip and Dale stopped by our table during dinner. By the time we left the restaurant illumination has already started. We can see the fireworks but the kids were not interested. They wanted to go home so we did.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/7/1176040380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/7/1176040380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/bakasyonista/7/1176040380/tpod.html Fri, 03 Jul 2009 10:48:30 -0400 From Las Vegas, Nevada to Arizona to Utah

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Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

We just walked around the Las Vegas strip. We went from one hotel to another. We went to see the Rainforest at the Mirage and the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio.  We had snacks at Jean Philippe. It was good. DD1 was impressed by their chocolate fountain.We strolled at the Forum Shops at Caesar's Palace, which simulates ancient Roman streets with fountains, statues and facades. The painted ceiling also resembles an expansive sky. Caesar's Palace has elaborate frescoes, marble columns and statues amidst bubbling fountains that grace the expansive lobby. We crossed the Brooklyn Bridge onto New York New York where DS and DH enjoyed a roller coaster ride while DD1 and DD2 had fun at the arcade. We had lunch at Excalibur, where DH met with 3 of his College classmates. We went to see the Lions Habitat at MGM Grand, tasted different international flavors of coke at the Coca Cola Museum. No trip to the Venetian without a graceful glide down the Grand Canal in an authentic Venetian Gondola. The singing gondoliers are just as impressive.
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New York, United States

Our flight to NY was uneventful. We had a great time.
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