Theme Park Insider

Vote of the week: Will you be visiting a theme park for the holidays?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 19:05:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: Now that Halloween's over for another year, the nation's top theme parks are turning their attention toward Christmas.

Sure, the year-round parks will enjoy a crush of visitors around Thanksgiving weekend, and parks near college bowl games will stay filled through New Year's, but Christmas provides the focus for the next two months at the nation's top theme parks.

But will you be going?

That's the question that parks are wondering now, and the we are asking in this week's vote. The industry's financial performance this year has been dismal, matching much of the rest of the economy, and park managers fear that even if visitors do show up, they won't spend like in years past.

So what are your holiday travel plans? Tell us the details in the comments, please. Will you be visiting a theme park between now and New Year's? If you won't, why not? If you will, where will you be going and how will your trip compare with previous years'?

poll by twiigs.com

Thanks, again, for reading Theme Park Insider, and have a great weekend!

Why Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room is the best animatronic show ever made

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 17:54:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: As gentle as the Hawaiian air, and refreshing like a trip to Ka'anapali Beach, Disneyland's Enchanted Tiki Room was the first Audio-Animatronic show ever built, debuting in 1961. Nearly 50 years later, it remains the best, a under-rated attraction that plays to the strength of the animatronic medium.

The Tiki Room gets a bad rap from folks who want their theme parks to provide all action, all the time. Disney did tweak the show many years back, removing an Offenbach number that, frankly, did burden the show's pace. A poorly-received revamp of the show at Walt Disney World further hurt the Tiki Room's reputation.

But at Disneyland, when properly maintained and without the Offenbach slowing it, the Enchanted Tiki Room shines.

Unlike later animatronic shows such as the Country Bear Jamboree and the Hall of Presidents, the Tiki Room plays in an intimate, and truly immersive, theater. There's no stage upon which the action is trapped. The Tiki Room shows happens all around you, with birds, flowers and totems animating the ceiling and the walls. I sold my nine-year-old son on the Tiki Room be telling him that the Tiki Room is to a theater what the Transformers are to cars and trucks - it makes an inanimate object come alive.

Walt Disney developed Audio-Animatronic not simply as a theme park attraction, but as a film special effect. (Remember the scene in Mary Poppins where Mary sings to the bird outside the Banks' window?) Advances in computer-generated imagery have rendered the animatronic almost extinct as a movie effect, and CGI-driven 4-D movies have crowded animatronic shows from theme parks, too.

But animatronics retain one great advantage over CGI - tactility. Even 3D CGI images exist only in the mind's eye, a trick of optics that create the illusion of substance. Animatronics exist is real space, however. They invite your touch. But that advantage diminishes, then disappears, with distance. An animatronic show, to be most effective, must play in an intimate theater, where the characters and other animatronics work not too far from arms' reach.

Alone among animatronic shows, the Tiki Room satisfies that need. You sit immersed in a garden of singing flowers, talking birds and chanting totems. Children can get up, then dance, in front of the center fountain. More than a few visitors have leaned against the corner totems, only to be startled when they come to life.

The Sherman Brothers' songs delight, as well - pleasing you with a sweet bite of musical sugar. The rhythm quickens and the tempo swells to a thunderous climax, before a gentle rain washes the moment away, refreshing the scene for a winsome finale.

Now, "best" does not mean "perfect." The cliched ethnic accents of the four host birds grate on 21st-century ears. And when the show's run too long between needed maintenance breaks, too much of the charming detail in sound and motion is lost.

Other attractions have used animatronics to impressive effect, as well. The American Adventure at Epcot raises a lump in my throat every time, but much of its power derives from its effective use of film, in addition to its animatronics. Expedition Everest's Yeti awed riders of the Animal Kingdom roller coaster, but how important is that animatronic to the overall experience of that attraction, really, given that Disney continue to operate the ride even though the Yeti hasn't worked properly for years?

The Tiki Room relies on its animatronics alone. If the animatronic show ever returns as a theme park staple, it will have to employ the Tiki Room's template - a small, immersive theater where visitors can feel engaged with the performers. And the action should not be limited to identifiable characters. The walls and the ceiling, heck, even the chairs and the floors must come to life. Like a truck transforming into Optimus Prime, an animatronic show theater must transform into a living, giving performance, as well.

Just like the Enchanted Tiki Room.

What's the most underrated theme park attraction?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 04:55:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: In preparation for a piece I'll be running tomorrow, this evening I asked Theme Park Insider's Twitter followers: What do *you* think is the most underrated theme park attraction?

Here are a few of the replies:

"American Eagle, still the tallest & fastest racing coaster in the world with a drop only 7 feet shorter than voyage's"

"Mine is Tomorrowland Transit in Disney MK. Very relaxing."
[Two other people voted for TTA, as well.]

"The Villain and The Big Dipper at Geauga Lake were VERY underrated"

"I think the most underrated theme park attraction is Dinosaur at Animal Kingdom"

"I'll say World of Motion. I miss that one! :) "

"Carousel of Progress by far!"
[A second person also voted for Carousel of Progress.]

"Mr. Toads Wild Ride WDW"

"The Mean Streak at Cedar Point gets no love. It's one of my favorite coasters, but everyone either hates it or is unaware of it."
[This was retweeted once, as well.]

"Kings Island. The Vortex!"

"Shows are very underrated. Lots of great talented singers and dancers. Lots of celebs got their start that way."

So now I'll ask you: What's your pick as the most underrated theme park attraction? Tell us in the comments, and keep reading tomorrow, when I share one of my selections.

Trip report from Epcot's 2009 Food and Wine Festival

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 17:25:00 GMT

By Anthony Murphy: I was lucky enough to be able to check out Epcot's Food and Wine Festival at Walt Disney World this year for five days in October. I was extremely excited to go since my parents were able to go last year and made extremely high expectations for this festival. Most of the comparisons are based on their views from last year and what I read from others, but I pretty much went into the festival with high hopes a hearty appetite.

For the most part, the Food and Wine Festival was set up with various stands representing different cities from around the world. Unlike last year, this year's setups of stands were done in geographical order (meaning Ireland was near United Kingdom, South American Stands by Mexico, etc). For the most part, you got a "taste" portion of some of the most popular foods from that country to share with others. There were about three kinds of foods (two entrees, one dessert) and three alcohol selections (usually two wines and a beer).

One thing that I noticed is that all countries in the world share a few things in common: Alcohol and a dumpling dish of some sort. The food, of course, was delicious and I really can't think of anything that I had that I thought was awful. Sure, there were some things that I did not like too much, but it was well cooked and prepared. A few of my favorites at the Food and Wine Festival Stands was, of course, the Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup, Kerrygold Cheese Selections, the Empanadas, and the raisin less New Orleans Bread Pudding. Probably this section of the Food and Wine Festival impressed me the most because the stands were all unique and seemed to be well built meaning not some kind of temporary stand. You could do some serious cooking in a few of them. Below is a movie that I made of all the stands. I thought it would be too much for the trip report to put them all here!

Another major part of the Food and Wine Festival at Epcot is the tastings and food demonstrations. About 90% of the events of this kind take place in the Welcome Center, aka Wonders of Life Pavilion. While I greatly still miss Cranium Command and the other Wonders of Life stuff, they did a pretty good job at setting up the events in the space. There were two temporary stages constructed for the paid events and they used the Anatomical Players Stage and Making of Me Theater for the free events and wine making movie respectfully. On the temporary stages, one was constructed for cooking demonstrations and the other for wine tastings.

A new feature this year was the charging for the cooking demonstrations and wine tastings. In the past, both used to be free, causing individuals to have to wait in line hours ahead of time for a seat. With the payment for tickets, you can come about 15 minutes before and be guaranteed a seat. It cost $5 ahead of time and $8 at the door. This is really not bad considering you are getting a small meal with alcohol at the cooking demonstrations and three half-glasses of wine at the tastings. The other positive about tickets is that many if not most wine tastings were followed by a cooking demonstration in which the wine was paired with some big chef's food so if you really liked the drink, you could have it again with some fine food.

Personally for me, the cooking demonstrations were much better due to you getting many of the wines from the tasting areas and the chefs were a little bit more interesting going though their dishes than the wine people. I got to see the Hearty Boys of Food Network Fame (and Chicago fame), many pastry chefs of Disney, and, my favorite, Celina Tio, who opened up Julian's in Kansas City.

She had to have been one of the nicest chefs and my father, who is an extremely picky eater, loved everything she made (she was also at Party for the Senses mentioned below). For the demonstration, she made Breakfast for Dinner which was an over easy egg with panko crumbs over a handmade sausage patty on top of a Mickey Waffle. It sounds really weird, but I loved it. So if you are in or around KC, check out Julian's stat!

My favorite wine was a fruit wine made right there in Florida which includes a Mango Wine, Pineapple Wine, and my personal favorite, the Hurricane Wine which was a mix of their five most popular wines. Outside of the Welcome Center, they have other events such as the Tequila tasting in Mexico (which I did) and some free events such as Sam Adams beer tasting in the American Adventure (which I also did).

While the changes were for the better it seems, there were some weaknesses in the new plan that I am going to hope they will fix for 2010. First of all, you have to reserve in August to get the $5 rate and guaranteed a seat. Here on TPI, we were given a warning on when that would be, but there were still guests that did not understand or were willing to commit to those particular days. The other problem with this is that you have no idea what the chef is going to do or make which becomes an issue if you have allergies or restrictions on foods. For example, with our fine tequila at the Mexico bar, they gave us a selection of foods to sample with our tequila. However, one of the three foods was completely made of crab which my mother is extremely allergic to if she takes a bite. Of course, in Disney fashion, they were able to accommodate her, but especially for the cooking demonstrations in which its one dish, one drink, Muslims, Jewish, and Hindus might have an issue with the pork or beef dishes.

Our other issue with the tickets was much bigger. When reserving all of our cooking demonstrations, we attempted to get the famous Robert Irvine of Cooking Impossible session. My family, who really probably should have their own house on Main Street USA, was not able to get them online. I feel sorry for others who really had no idea what we were doing. So we asked a couple of days in advance if there were any extra tickets for the Irvine event. We were told yes, but they would only sell them the day of the event which was no problem for us.

So, on Sunday we got up really early, left our resort, the Boardwalk, and walked though the back of World Showcase to be stopped near the fountain in Future World. Epcot was not open yet so we understood why we were kept there. They have a very nice opening Epcot show with the characters that pick a family to ride as the "pace car" in a Test Track Vehicle to open the park. Very nice stuff! Anyway, they told us that they were going to drop the rope and not to move until the characters are gone and not to run anywhere because there are a bunch of cast members in the corridors leading to the Future World Pavilions to welcome you all. We could see, obviously, that the people who came from the front gate of Epcot across from us by the pin trading area. Well, they had a countdown and when we hit 2, some bald man just took off from across the way climbing over potted plants and took off towards Wonders of Life pavilion. I, being in the front of the World Showcase line, picked up my walking pace when they finally told us to go and made it to the ticketed area of Wonders of Life as number 8 in line (bald man was 2). Anyway, there were about 30 tickets left for the event. Person 1 bought four tickets and the bald man (who was 2 and alone) bought 20 tickets and began to sell it to people 11-20 in line). Thus, after person number 4, they told us all the tickets were sold out. Many people, including myself, demanded to see the manager which she came out. Mind you, I am cast member in the Disney Store so I know that management is a thankless job, but this manager was extremely combative and basically told us that we could not prove that he was selling tickets. However, all the individuals who companied, which was about 10 including myself and my mother who came with me to get the tickets, were either DVC or Annual Pass holders who obviously spend lots of time at Disney and know more than the average tourist. Anyway, the manager gave us front of the line access at Robert Irvine's book signing, but we did not get to taste his great green peppercorn steak. Robert Irvine, by the way, found out about this problem and actually personally apologized to us even though he really had no control over it. So, in the future, I hope that Disney limits the amount of tickets one individual can buy at the time to like 4 per person. I only wanted three.

What I consider to be the "big bang" climax of the entire festival is the Party for the Senses, which brings many of the chefs and wineries from around Disney and the country for tastings and demonstrations. They decided to do it a little differently this year by having each of the Party of the Senses be themed, since they happen every Saturday during the Festival. While we were there, the party was Asian themed, which, on the outside, does not sound too bad, but my family, especially my father, are not big fish eaters and about 80% of the food was fish. That was a bit of a turn-off to my family.

I understand that there is a lot of seafood in Asian cooking, but there were only a handful of dishes that had beef and none with chicken (there was duck). There was also only one place that had potstickers and they were part of a very tasty soup. Robert Irvine was there, but made some kind of bass, as was Celina Tao from Julian's, who made short ribs in a fried slaw which was probably the best thing there. My father shook her hand since that's about all he ate. The beauty of the Party for the Senses though is all you can eat and drink so, like my father with Tio's short ribs and my mother with her Florida wines, you can go back for more and more. In drink category, I had a fantastic strawberry balsamic martini made with Chopin premium potato vodka and a selection of wines from Lasseter Wineries made by, yes, Mr. Pixar, John Lasseter. His wife was pouring for the guests and was very down to earth and nice. For over $100 a person, it's a pretty hefty tag, but you can get your worth of food and drink instantly. The other nice thing is after awhile, people start slowing down and you can have conversations with the various chefs. I just think next time, we will try to come for Italian night!

For the most part, Epcot's Food and Wine Festival was the best theme park events I have ever been too. They need to fix a couple of loopholes so that people are not accidently eating something they are allergic to or one man can't buy nearly all of the tickets to a highly sought cooking demonstration. This event brought together two of my loves: Epcot and food! So join me next year for an Empanada and tequila!

First look at the theme park map for Universal Studios Singapore

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:21:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: A reader e-mailed me the park map for Universal Studios Singapore, which opens next year.

Click for larger version

It's a "greatest hits" of the Universal theme parks, with a blend of rides and shows from Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Universal Studios Japan. The only ride I'd add, to make it perfect? Men in Black. But that's me.

Thoughts?

Will Disney bring back an old-school Mickey Mouse?

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 03:56:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: For tonight's open thread, I'll leave you with this article from the New York Times, revealing some of the ways that the Walt Disney Company is looking to revitalize its icon, Mickey Mouse.

Over the decades, Mickey's ossified into a corporate symbol - far from his origin as the "Bart Simpson of his day," as the NYT put it. Heck, even the original Animation tour film at the then-Disney-MGM Studios gently mocked Mickey's corporate status.

I also enjoyed the reveal that the famous "Oswald for Al Michaels" deal wasn't some last-minute, face-saving throw-in, but a calculated move by Disney to regain rights for a character it needed for next year's "Epic Mickey" video game, the first step in the company's re-envisioning of the Main Mouse.

Whaddya think?

What do you want to see from Six Flags Magic Mountain's new family roller coaster?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 22:45:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: Six Flags Magic Mountain is expected within the next few days to announce the name and design for its new family roller coaster, which will debut in 2010. (Given when past roller coasters have debuted at Magic Mountain, I'd expect around Memorial Day weekend.)

Since we're talking about a family coaster here, my first thought is a Vekoma, which has a wide line of family coasters. But Magic Mountain's only Vekoma is Deja Vu, which hasn't had the greatest track record - in terms of up-time or popularity - during its run at the park. Does that lead Magic Mountain to look toward a different manufacturer? Heck if I know.

So let's speculate. What would you like to see from Magic Mountain when it makes its announcement later this month? The LA Times reported that the site will be between Deja Vu and Johnny Rockets, but that seems a really tight fit to me.

Give me names; give me models. I'm going to go out on a limb, to start the discussion, by guessing that the name will not be "OMG".

What if... Walt Disney had built his skiing 'theme park'?

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 19:38:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: What if Walt Disney had done for ski resorts what he did for the amusement park business with Disneyland?

It almost happened. At the same time in the 1960s that Walt secretly was buying land for a new theme park resort in Florida, his associates were scouting locations for an ambitious new Disney ski resort in California. One of them, Harrison "Buzz" Price tells the story in his remarkable book, Walt's Revolution! By the Numbers.

Buzz Price, for those who have not heard the name, is to the theme park industry what Forrest Gump was to Baby Boomers' idealized vision of their childhood - he was everywhere. Price worked for Walt Disney in selecting the site for Disneyland, with Lew Wasserman on the development of Universal City, and with George Millay on the feasibility of SeaWorld Orlando and Magic Mountain as well as on theme park feasibility studies for Six Flags and Marriott. If you're a theme park fan, you've almost certainly visited a park that Price played some role in developing.

Price writes that Walt was taken with the Swiss village of Zermatt (home to Walt's favorite mountain), and wanted to build a resort like it in America. He sent Price and other associates to look for potential locations throughout California.

They strongly considered Mt. Gorgonio, east of Los Angeles, and even cut a deal for Walt to buy Mammoth Mountain. But Mammoth Mountain's family owner backed out in a Burbank meeting with Walt which would have closed that deal.

Upon the advice of the U.S. Forest Service's west coast director, Price turned his attention to a large parcel located near Sequoia National Park, known as Mineral King.

Late in 1964, under Walt's instruction, we began the assembly of private acreage holdings on the floor of the Mineral King valley, a 26-acre site essential for the project base village. One of our group, Robert Hicks, who later was hired by Walt to manage ski resort project development, succeeded in buying out the Forest Service leaseholder positions of 18 families. It was something of a miracle, but Bob had grown up in Visalia and he talked the local language in a polite, quiet non-threatening way. I paid for the property rights and the Disney Company reimbursed me. The Forest Service then asked us to submit work plans, which would be dealt with on a negotiated basis.
As we began preparing the work plans, a well-known actress, Janet Leigh, and her husband, Robert Brandt prevailed on the Forest Service to open the process for competitive bidding. Disney prepared a stunning presentation and won the competition hand down.

The WED plans for the site envisioned six ski areas, with a combined daily capacity of 20,000 skiers, set around a Swiss-style base village. Disney had a deal with California Governor Pat Brown for $35 million in road improvements leading to the site.

So what happened? After Walt's death in 1966, Disney management decided that it couldn't handle two major projects in Walt's absence. So instead of building Mineral King, it chose to develop the other grand project Walt had been working on... Walt Disney World.

Mineral King eventually became property of the National Park Service and is now, undeveloped, part of Sequoia National Park.

In the weeks ahead, I'll be telling other stories from Price's book. But I want to throw this question out there for Theme Park Insider readers... what if Disney had built Mineral King Resort?

Put another way - What lessons could have been brought over from the theme park business to improve the ski business? I tried skiing once, and immediately blew out my knee. My wife loves skiiing and is eager to go again, but we'd be more likely to book a trip if there were more to do at a place like Mammoth Mountain than simply ski. (The kids and I aren't at the level where we can go all day yet - but we don't want just to sit around a condo.)

The Disney Company's genius in developing theme parks has been to provide a variety of experiences, from thrills to story-telling to playgrounds to shows, giving everyone in the family something to do. How could ski areas provide a more comprehensive winter entertainment experience, without "dumbing-down" the skiing? And how could they handle, crowds, service and their overall customer experience in a more "Disney" way?

Advice for families taking a cruise vacation: An interview with Luisa Frey

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:48:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: Guest Q & A: Disney's big news in the past week has been the announcement of its new cruise ship, the Disney Dream. I am not a cruise expert - heck, I don't like boats unless I am sailing them. But I know that many theme park fans either have taken family cruises, or might be considering one.

So I asked a family cruise expert to answer some questions for us at Theme Park Insider. Luisa Frey has been writing about family cruising and family land travel for the past 15 years. She is the founder of www.teentraveltalk.com, a travel blog written by teens for their peers and parents. She also is the family cruise editor for www.cruisemates.com and moderates the site's family cruise message boards. And her family travel articles have appeared on Budgettravel.com, CNN.com, Fodors.com, Momlogic.com and USAToday.com and in FamilyFun magazine.

Many thanks to Luisa for taking the time to answer our questions!

Robert: What will families who've vacationed at theme parks before like most about going on a cruise? And what would be the biggest adjustment or difference from a typical theme park vacation?

Luisa: I highly recommend taking your cruise AFTER your theme park visit. Theme park vacations typically involve a lot of running around as you and your kids try to pack a lot in a short time. While there is plenty to do on cruise ships these days, cruises inherently are more laid back in atmosphere and give you welcomed time to relax before heading home. The relaxation part is what parents like most about going on a family cruise.

The biggest difference between a theme park vacation and cruise ship vacation is that on a cruise, parents and kids get time apart and time together. Conversely, at a theme park, parents have to always keep kids under close, watchful eyes. All ships leaving Port Canaveral have youth and teen programs and thus, parents get to pamper themselves a bit while their little ones are being entertained and supervised by well-trained youth counselors. Your child might love the kids' program so much that you may have to lay down the rules that they must spend a few hours a day with you �be it at the pool or sharing a leisurely dinner together!

Robert: In addition to the Disney Cruise Line, what are some other family-friendly options for theme park fans who might be interested in adding a cruise to their summer or holiday vacation in 2010?

Luisa: Just to clarify, Port Canaveral is less than a one-hour drive from the Orlando theme parks. Many cruise lines offer pre-and post-cruise packages to the theme parks which include bus transfers. See the websites of the below cruise lines for complete details.

This winter, Disney Cruise Line once again offers 3- and 4-night cruises aboard Disney Wonder from Port Canaveral. Additionally, the Disney Magic sails alternating 7-night Eastern and Western Caribbean itineraries from the port. Check directly with Disney Cruise Line for complete sailing schedules because their deployment changes in summer 2010.

Similarly, at present, both Royal Caribbean International and Carnival Cruise Lines feature 3-and 4-night cruises as well as 7-night cruises from Port Canaveral. In the 3- and 4-night cruise options, Royal Caribbean's Monarch of the Seas is an older, tighter ship as is Carnival's Sensation, so I recommend the Disney Wonder.

All the 7-night ships � Carnival Glory and Carnival Dream; Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas; and Disney Magic � are all excellent, roomy ships for families and offer a plethora of family-friendly facilities and programming. You can't go wrong on any of them.

My suggestion is to avoid booking a 3-night cruise because it's just too short to get into the relaxing rhythm of cruising. Running around theme parks is exciting yet tiring. Why participate in a similar scenario aboard ship when you can instead cruise four or seven nights in a more relaxing environment?

Robert: How should I pack for a cruise? Is there anything different that I need to bring - or leave home - versus going on an Orlando theme park trip?

Luisa: Yes, you will have to bring nicer clothes than on an Orlando theme park trip. Most cruise lines have a formal night, albeit formal nights are not as formal as they used to be. Men can get away with a suit (tuxes are not necessary) and boys with khakis and button down shirt. Ladies and girls do tend to still wear nice cocktail dresses. Ladies also need to bring a light sweater or jacket for evenings since the ships tend to be very air-conditioned and cool. Other evenings are less formal but most cruise lines do not allow shorts in their dining rooms for dinner. There are casual options though which usually include buffets and pizzerias for dinner.

Robert: Okay, here's the big fear: How can I keep my kids from getting seasick? And what can I do if I - I mean the kids - do get sick?

Luisa: After over 30 cruises with my 16 year old and about 10 with my eight-year-old, I've learned that the most important thing to pack are seabands. You can get them at any major drugstore chain or in the ships' shops. They are tight wristbands that have a pressure point on them that help relieve nausea. What's great is that there is no medication involved, which makes them perfect for kids.

That said, I do also carry children's Dramamine or bonine for if seas get really rough. That scenario is more the exception than the rule, but I prefer to be prepared. If they do get seasick, try to reassure them it'll stop as soon as you get to the next port and also purchase ginger cookies to help ease their tummies next time.

My teen daughter has only gotten seasick on smaller, more expedition-type ships and not the mega-liners that leave from Port Canaveral.

Robert: Are there particular activities that are best for kids and parents to do on the first day? Which ones are better saved for the end of the trip?

Luisa: After boarding your ship and checking out your cabin, if you want a spa treatment, have your spouse or adult traveling companion take your kids to the buffet for lunch and get in line at the spa to make your appointment. These appointments usually go fast so do it on embarkation day.

Similarly make any reservations for alternative restaurants on the day you board. (Alternative restaurants are more exclusive and charge approximately $15 to $25 per person for dinner.) After that, explore the ship's public areas, including the deck and pool areas, outdoor sports areas (basketball courts, mini-golf, rock walls, etc.) and eating options.

Make sure you and your kids attend the youth counselors' "welcome to the youth program" session usually held the first evening. You can sign your children up for the free youth programming that night.

If you have a teen, it is imperative that they check out the teen activities and programming the first night and following first full day. Teens tend to make friends on those days and then they'll often hang out together for the rest of the cruise. When my daughter was first old enough to attend the teen programs aboard ship, she "missed the boat" by not checking out the teen program the first day. By the time she got there, all the teens had formed their groups and she felt left out. You can get more advice directly from teens about traveling with teens at teentraveltalk.com.

As for the last full day � which is often, but not always, a sea day � I like to walk around the ship in the morning with my kids and camera. We take photographs of them at their favorite spots around ship.

Robert: How do I keep from losing track of my kids on a cruise?

Luisa: Walkie-talkies are the best way to keep track of your kids. Get a good pair from an electronics store and bring them on the cruise. While certain parts of ships do not transmit walkie talkie signals, most do and it saves parents a lot of running around and "angst" from wondering where their child is. Most youth programs allow kids 10 years and older to sign themselves out of the youth program, with parental permission. Thus, walkie-talkies are helpful for you to track where your child is at any given time they are not with you.

Robert: How do I keep from getting ripped off or nickel-and-dimed, either when booking a cruise or on the cruise itself?

Luisa: Do your homework ahead of time! I find the area that families overspend most on a cruise is the shore excursions. The cruise lines all offer shore excursions which are over-priced, especially if you are paying for four people in your family to take that excursion. Once you multiply what you would spend per family member times the number of ports, you'll see how it really can add up.

Instead, research online or in a guidebook as to activities your family can do independently in the ports you're calling at. It's much cheaper to pay for one taxi to take your family to a nearby beach for the day than pay for a cruise line excursion, per person, to the beach. I often ask my waiter or crew their recommendations for local beaches or attractions. The shore excursions personnel are knowledgeable but prefer to sell you one of the line's tours. I've written a number of articles regarding what families can do independently in ports all over North America for www.cruisemates.com's family cruise section, which can prove helpful.

In addition, you may want to give your kids a budget for the ship's arcade so that they do not accrue a huge bill. Similarly, you might want to give yourself a budget beforehand in regards to how much you can spend on alcoholic beverages and gambling, if you partake in either of these activities.

Robert: What new ships or itineraries are coming that families should be looking for in 2010 and beyond?

Luisa: On November 18, 2009 Carnival Cruise Lines is adding its newest ship Carnival Dream to the roster of ships homeporting in Port Canaveral. The itinerary includes seven-day sailings alternating between the Eastern and Western Caribbean. Camp Carnival carries more kids at sea than any other cruise line so parents can be assured that there will be plenty of kids on board for theirs to play with.

Norwegian Cruise Line is homeporting in Port Canaveral for the first time in October, 2010. The 1,936-passenger Norwegian Sun will offer seven-day Eastern and Western Caribbean cruises annually from October through April.

Disney Dream is the big news hitting the Port Canaveral market in January 2011. This is Disney's newest addition since it launched its fleet a decade ago and the ship will have lots of bells and whistles for families. A prominent one includes Aqua Ducks, which is a water roller coaster that transports passengers in inflatable tubes up hill and down. What's most unique is that the structure is made of translucent material so that passengers can see where they are going, which includes through the funnel and OVER the side of the ship, providing ocean views right below them!

Any other Theme Park Insider cruise veterans want to share their advice? Let's hear you in the comments....

Disney announces one more bureaucratic hurdle cleared in building Shanghai Disneyland

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 01:03:00 GMT

By Robert Niles: The Walt Disney Company announced today that it has approval from the Chinese government to go ahead and make a final agreement with its partners in Shanghai to build and operate a Magic Kingdom theme park in the Chinese city.

Shanghai Disneyland has been tipped for a 2014 debut, though no official opening date or attraction line-up has been announced.