Situated in Downtown Disney this attraction has five floors of of video games, virtual reality rides,arcades and  flight simulators.

It is worth a visit and could easily fill half a day if the weather is bad or if the weather is good if you are in to this type of attraction.

When my wife and I were there just recently it was very popular and had attracted people from six to sixty and they all were having a great time.

Bahama Bay Resort is only a short drive from this attraction so make it your center for your stay in the Disney area.

Blizzard Beach is themed to look like like a ski resort and it has a ski lift and snow capped mountains. It is the home of Summit Plummet which is a free fall slide of some 120 feet.

Essentially Blizzard Beach is a slide and raft water park and is worth a visit if only for half a day. Car parking is free although you do have to pay to rent locker space for your bags and clothing. There are plenty of places to lounge and sunbathe. Be prepared for a wait at some of the slides.

Check out Run - Off Rapids with curving slides and Teamboat Springs which increase speed the more people you have on your mat.

Remember Bahama Bay Resort is ideally situated only a short drive from this attraction.

We had the opportunity to visit Epcot on the kind invitation of our next door neighbor who is a Disney Cast Member.

At present the Wine and Food Festival is going on and will be until 9th November. This is where you can sample foods from different parts of the as you walk around World Showplace. It is not free but on the other hand it is not at all expensive and you can purchase glasses of wine and beer to go with your food and these have been chosen to compliment the dishes by various Disney sommeliers. In addition you can watch cookery demonstrations go to wine tastings and book signings by some famous chefs.

Additionally they have a Show which is called Eat to the Beat at the America Gardens Theater and on this occasion the Atlanta Rhythm Section was playing. They were great and good value. The two guitarists were exceptionally good and the lead singer had a great voice. All in all a very enjoyable half hour show. Check out my photos titled Atlanta Rhythm Section.

We went to some areas of Epcot where we had not been before and had a look at the Innoventions section and then on to a boat ride through the agricultural lands of America to learn how crops are produced and at the new ways they are using to grow crops. Not your usual Disney ride but very interesting nevertheless and we learnt something in that we did not realize Disney were in to this sort of thing but with their partner Nestle they obviously are.

Then back to a more normal ride where we watched the Adventures of Nemo whilst riding in a clam shell through an underwater world. Here apart from Nemo and all the other characters we also saw sharks and dolphins.

It was now getting on in time and we had a short journey to make to The Wilderness Lodge where we had reservations for dinner. This is an up grade Disney hotel and we were interested to see it as we had heard so much about it. On walking in there my breath was taken away. It was like walking in to a Log Cabin except the dimensions were enormous. The ceiling was extremely high and the lights had scenes of buffalo and Indians. The seating area was vast and just like a log cabin. There was an enormous fire place with the fire going and rockers to sit in. At the far end from the entrance there is a bubbling water source through rocks and the water passes under the Lodge wall and forms a stream outside that meanders through the gardens and over a waterfall to the swimming pool at the bottom. The garden area is surrounded by the hotel itself and the rooms all have balconies overlooking it. All in all just like the real thing.

We ate in the Artists Point restaurant and the food was really good. I had Buffalo which was tender and cooked just right and the ladies both had Plank Salmon which they said was succulent and very tasty. The service was attentive and the food very nicely presented. The portions were not large but after a three course meal we found ourselves well satisfied.

This was a memorable afternoon and evening which I hope we shall be able to repeat again sometime in the future.

Bahama Bay Resort is only a short driving distance from Disney so it is the ideal center for your stay.

Let me first of all explain that The Boardwalk is a Disney Hotel situated next to Epcot and on the banks of a lake which you can also see in Epcot. One side of the lake shore is given over to The Boardwalk which has shops and restaurants and as you walk round you can also see the Swan and Dolphin Hotels and next on round is The Yacht Club Hotel and next to it The Beach Club Hotel. I suppose it is about three quarters of a mile round. There is a white sand beach (No Swimming) and of course being a lake there are boats for hire. These vary from small two seater speed type boats to larger party boats which can also be used for fishing parties.

One of the real attractions is Breathless 2 which is very definitely a speed boat going by the wonderful throaty roar that comes from its engine compartment. The boat can be hired by the half hour or there is a longer cruise available and for that you also get a driver. Basically it is a trip round the Lake and then off down to Hollywood Studios via the canal along which can also walk or jog if you are feeling energetic. Once in the canal the boat can be opened up and it makes a great scene traveling down with the wash and waves coming in to shore. As I said before the sound is great.

Have a look at the Photo Album (Breathless 2) to get a feel of what goes on.

The Boardwalk is worth a visit for a few hours and you can get in to Epcot from there if you wish.

If you are staying at Bahama Bay Resort it is only a short drive to The Boardwalk and once there all the other attractions at Disney are within easy reach.

My wife and I and our next door neighbor had the opportunity to visit the Flower and Garden Festival last evening. Epcot is looking very colorful and there are many new Disney characters, or at least ones I haven't seen before, depicted in shrubbery. You can check out some of them in the accompanying photo tour under Epcot Flower and Garden Festival - 2008. You must look out for Lady and the Tramp. It is my favorite.

We visited the Neverland Garden with Captain Hook, Peter Pan and the alligator and also the Butterfly Garden sponsored by Clarityn. On the way there many other gardens with some featuring sculptures by artists who live in Florida.

Performing on  stage was B.J.Thomas who is probably most famous for "Raindrops Keep Fallin on your Head". He was great to watch and I was sorry the performance only lasted about a half hour. He was one of many artistes appearing at Epcot during the Flower and Garden Festival and some others due to perform were The Searchers, Gary Pucket and Jose Feliciano to name but a few.

After the performance we had some time before dinner and we went to see the Images of France presentation in the French section. I am so glad we did. The presentation was a film on a huge wraparound screen and it was as though you were flying over the French countryside from north to south and east to west. Some of the Chateaux scenes and those of Paris were breathtaking. It lasted only about eighteen minutes but quite honestly it could have gone on longer and you would still have been spellbound. It was one of the best eighteen minutes I have spent.

We had dinner at Chefs De France and very good the meal was too. The service was quick and attentive and everyone was determined to make the evening memorable for all the right reasons. I started with a rustic plate of pate and chacuterie followed by roast duck with sweet potato and green beans. Being a Brit I had to finish with cheese and it was a good selection on the plate which they normally serve as a starter. A nice bottle of Syrah accompanied the meal which was finished just before the Firework Display which can  be seen every evening.

Altogether a great afternoon and evening out which will be remembered for a long time. That is what it is all about at the Disney parks.

Hope you can make the time to visit and make Bahama Bay Resort the center for your vacation.

The Flower and Garden Show is now on at Epcot through to June.

I hope to visiting it shortly and will report back. Last year it was a great and colorful event with plenty to look at and learn.

Bahama Bay is the place to stay it is only minutes away and good for relaxation after a hard day at Disney.

I was down in Disney World the other day and I noticed the name change at the entrance. Disney MGM Studios is now Disney's Hollywood Studios.

I understand the partners have gone their separate ways and it is now appropriate to rename the attraction.

I do not believe anything else has changed and the Park is as good as ever.

Remember Bahama Bay Resort is only a few minutes from Disney so make it your vacation center.

The LPGA Tour comes to Reunion again this year for The Ginn Open from 14th April to 20th April.

The course is about twenty minutes from Bahama Bay Resort so it is an ideal base from which to travel and to recover after a day on the course watching your favourite women golfers.

So as not to be disappointed I would suggest you make your reservation now at www.bahamabayvacationrentals.com.

As I did last year I shall be making reports here as to how the tournament is progressing together with the Leader Board.

SeaWorld is opening it's new attraction, Aquatica, on March 1st. This is an eight acre water park that SeaWorld has built just down the road from the main attraction on International Drive.

The Park has 36 separate water slides as well as two simultaneous wave pools that can be operated together or independently. There are also gift shops and restaurants including one that specializes in health foods, The Waterstone Grill, and another Mango Market which will make up picnic baskets for people to take with them. Another, Banana Beach Cook - Out, will enable customers to buy a single dining pass which will allow them to go back throughout the day whenever they are hungry of course.

In one of the pools you can share the water with Commerson Dolphins which look like Killer Whales but are a much smaller version. If this is still  too close for comfort then you can watch them from behind glass.

This sounds as though it is well worth a visit if you are a water and sun lover and then you can compare it with the other water parks like Typhoon Lagoon, Blizzard Beach and Water Mania.

All these Parks are within easy reach of Bahama Bay Resort.

Mardi Gras is on each Saturday Night from March 1st - April 19th 2008.

This annual celebration features New Orleans Cuisine , music and more.

Could be worth a visit.

Bahama Bay Resort is only about thirty minutes away.

Universal studios has introduced a new ride. It is an almost unimaginable adventure inspired by the hit TV show, The Simpsons.

Guests will ride along with members of The Simpsons family and enjoy a fantasy amusement park experience. It has been created by the series' cantankerous Krusty the Clown and his amusing and hilarious interpretations of thrill rides and live theme park shows.

Could be interesting!!!!

Remember Bahama Bay Resort is only about thirty minutes from Universal.

Just thought I would mention that Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom has refurbished its Pirates of the Caribbean ride to include some of the characters from the Pirates of the Caribbean Movie series.

It always was a good ride but now it will be even better.

Bahama Bay Resort is only minutes from Disney World so why not make it your base for your vacation in the Disney area of Orlando?

The Wine and Food Festival runs from September 28th to November 11th and my wife and I visited it last Monday.

The are a whole series of things going on surrounding food and drink such as tastings and cooking demonstrations but our interest was in the park itself where you could sample foods from around the world.

We arrived in time for lunch and we visited a number of stalls which were selling foods from various countries. Basically you just go to the ones that interest you and purchase the food you want. The portions are not large so you can visit as many stalls as you want. If you wish you can also purchase local wines and beers to accompany your food.

Of great interest to us was that the China Exhibit had at last been completed and very interesting it was too. There is a model of the Terracotta Army in the Pavilion and a new shop selling all things Chinese.From time to time also there were dancing and gymnastic displays in the courtyard.

Another thing of interest was that Mickeys Wand and Hand had been removed from the golf ball at the entrance to the park. This was to do with the 25th Birthday Celebrations and also had the effect of bringing things more in line with the way that Walt Disney envisioned the Park when he was building it. 

We stayed on to see The Four Tops who were performing on stage for the Eat to the Beat Concert Series. They produced a great sound which took me back to the Tamla Motown days and performed such titles as Reach Out, Bernadette and Baby I Need your Loving. Unfortunately they were on stage for only half an hour and I think the audience would never have let them go they were so good. Performing in the future are The Outlaws, Jon Secada who was great last year, Chubby Checker, The Contours and David Sanborn.

We finished the day off by eating at Tutto Italia the up market restaurant in the Italy section of the park. As previously we had arranged priority seating so there was no waiting around. The meal was excellent from the mainly pasta based menu although there were fish and chicken dishes also. The waiter was very knowledgeable about all aspects of the menu and we took his advice regarding the wine to accompany our meal. He was spot on with his recommendations.

There is obviously so much more to do and see at Epcot than I could adequately describe here. Not only for adults but also for the kid's so make your reservation now at Bahama Bay Resort which is only minutes from Epcot and so much more.

All in all it was a great day and we enjoyed every minute. Check out the Photo's.

The Delta rocket carrying the probe to Mars has successfully lifted off and Phoenix as the probe is called has made contact back to earth. So everything appears well there as it continues its mission and journey to the Red Planet.

Endeavour has also successfully lifted off on 08/08/07 on its mission to the Space Station. Unfortunately I couldn't get to see it in person but I did watch it on TV and it was a faultless launch. Having seen the vehicle on the pad is was far easier to identify with what was going on.

A visit to Kennedy Space Center is well worth the time and effort and make your base Bahama Bay Resort. It is ideally placed for visits to all the great attractions in the area.

We made a visit to The Kennedy Space Center on Friday 27th July. It is about an 11/2 hours from Bahama Bay Resort  by car a distance of about eighty miles. It is situated on the Atlantic Coast and is well worth a visit for a day.

Included in your ticket price is a coach tour of the facility and you can hop on and off the coach anywhere on the tour if you wish to stay longer at a particular venue. My wife and I on this occasion opted to pay a little more and take the Up Close Tour. This takes you to areas you would not see on the standard tour and we got to see launch pads and the Shuttle Launch Pad up close. This was particularly interesting as the Shuttle is due to launch on 7th August so it is already on the pad and being prepared. Please see my photos in the Photo Area.

In addition to the tours is the Space Shuttle Launch Experience which is a new ride and simulates an actual launch. It has been designed with the help of the astronauts and I am told it is very lifelike. You have to be above 48 inches tall to experience this.

Also housed within the complex is the Memorial to those who have lost their lives in the Space Endeavour. This is magnificent and a reminder of how brave you have to be to be  part of this.

There are also many film shows which you can see about the Space race and other things connected with Space.

Restaurants are on site but at times they do get busy. We took a packed lunch.

Altogether a visit well worth making and on the way you will also pass the Warbirds and the Astronaut and Police Halls of Fame. So if you have time call in and see these also.

To get there take I4 to the 417 Exit and take the 417 to the Beachline Expressway, 528, and just follow this all the way East. Kennedy Space Center is well signposted throughout and therefore not at all difficult to find.

Have great time.

Thanks to our neighbor who is a Disney Cast Member my wife and I were able to visit the Parks using a Park Hopper Ticket. This enables you to visit as many Parks as you wish during the day. So we started at Animal Kingdom and then went over to Magic Kingdom. We were going to go on to Epcot as well but the time just ran out. This is an easy thing to happen as you just tend to lose yourself with so much to do and see.

Car parking is easy and straightforward at the parks. Just drive up and pay your $10 if you are in a car but the costs do rise with bigger vehicles. However once you have paid you can use any other car park at other attractions free of charge. Just keep your ticket and show it to the Attendant. Remember the later you go the further away from the Park entrance you will be so make use of the complimentary transport provided. It will save you a long walk in the summer heat. You want to conserve your energy for the Park!!

There is loads to see and do in Animal Kingdom so after walking past The Tree of Life on Discovery Island we made straight for the Africa Area where we got our Fast Pass tickets for the Kilimanjaro Safari. Fast pass tickets allow you to return to a ride or whatever at a pre-determined time which saves you from the long queues which can form. They also allow you to go away and look at something else rather than waste time in the queue. We went on and did the Pangani Forest Trail which is a walk looking at various animals. The biggest attraction are the Gorillas but to day we only saw the juveniles. The big Silverback was keeping his head down or perhaps getting his head down!

We still had time to spare so we then went off to the Asia Area and here the biggest attraction are the tigers. Check out my photos. Here we also did the Maharajah Jungle Trek. This is similar to the one in Africa but with an Asian theme.

Then it was back to do the Safari. We looked for missing baby elephants and went on a chase to catch poachers and all this while riding on a safari vehicle and keeping watch for all the animals on view in the African Savannah. Giraffes, elephants, rhino, hippos and lions to name but a few. What a great trip and well worth doing. Watch out for the rickety bridge!!

As a said before time flies when you are having fun and it was already time to leave Animal Kingdom and head for Magic Kingdom and our lunch reservation. It took only a few minutes to drive over and park the car. But this time we were at a remote car park and you have to travel by Monorail or Ferry to the park. We opted for the ferry this time as we had been on the monorail before. There are two ferries operating so there is only a short wait time. The ferry is what looks like a Mississippi steamboat and the trip across the lake was but a few minutes.

Once through the gates we made straight for Tony's Town Square Restaurant. It is the ideal venue for lunch as it is Italian in flavor and does a great selection of lighter meals based on pasta, chicken, and panini.

Feeling somewhat full we were in time to watch the Disney Dreams Come True Parade at 3 p.m. daily. It was great with plenty going on with all your favorite Disney characters featured. Even the rain that started during the Parade could not dampen the enthusiasm. Check out my Photos.

Following the Parade we mounted the Train on the Walt Disney Railroad and did a circular tour of Magic Kingdom stopping at Frontierland and Mickeys Toontown Fair and then back to Main Street, U.S.A.

It was getting on time wise and we felt we were in need of a cool down so at that point we headed back for the car and home.

It was a great day all in all. We didn't see everything we wanted to see but that means we shall have to go back at some point and that is always good.

Now check out my photo,s of the day.

Experience the challenge of entering Earth's orbit and never leave the ground. You can now at The Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex. This is a new ride which cost $60 million and is in effect a Launch Simulation.

It has been in the making for three years and a top notch team of astronauts, NASA experts and attraction designers has put this ride together. It deploys sophisticated motion technology, special effect seats and hi-fi visual and audio presentations to create the desired effect on guests.

It sounds great and I hope to be visiting the center shortly to check it out. So watch this space (pardon the pun).

Kennedy Space Center is about 1 - 11/2 hours from Bahama Bay Resort and believe me it is well worth a visit. There is so much to see all connected with Space and getting there. The bus ride around the Complex is great and you can get off at various points for photos or to view the exhibits and take in the view of the launch pads.

Probably the best way to get there is to take US27 south to I4 and then go north on I4 towards Orlando. Take the 417N junction and continue until you come to the Beachline (528E) and simply follow that all the way and just follow the signs.

Have good day.