So which theme-park treat is sweetest?

August 15, 2008

Friends phoned the Theme Park Rangers Hotline recently with this breathless request: Where best to eat dessert at Epcot? That's a hefty question because the international options of the park's World Showcase probably outnumber the choices at any other park.

Recent columns

• Orlando Science Center puts you in 'Rockwell's America'

  August 8, 2008

  The best art transports observers to another place, and now Orlando Science Center visitors can stroll right into life-size "paintings" at its "Rockwell's America" exhibit.

• Disney's 'Baby Elephant Walk'

  August 1, 2008

  When African elephant Tsavo was born this summer at Disney's Animal Kingdom, two pachyderm families were already in place to welcome the 327-pound calf.

• Lost at SeaWorld? Shamu GPS can help

  July 25, 2008

  I'm traveling solo at SeaWorld Orlando when a little voice beckons "In 100 feet, turn right."

• Proof there were tourists before there were theme parks

  July 18, 2008

  If you can't visualize Central Florida before water parks, roller coasters or a certain castle, you should see the latest permanent exhibit at the Orange County Regional History Center.

• Best places to get soaked at theme parks

  July 11, 2008

  Grueling-hot summertime visits to theme parks can be alleviated with turns on one of their water-thrill rides. Take a whirl through this guide to H2O zones and discover which ones are worth getting soaked to the bone.

• don't miss: mermaid calendars at weeki wachee springs

  July 4, 2008

  WHAT: For the first time in history, Weeki Wachee Springs has created a calendar that stars its famed mermaids. Photographer Andrew Brusso, a Florida native with scads of celebrity photos and major magazine covers in his portfolio, captured the finned females after hearing about the park's "Save Our Tails" campaign. He'll be visiting Weeki Wachee, signing the 16-month calendars, which sell for $19.95. (You can see more of Brusso's work at andrewbrusso.com.)

• An extra helping of Liberty

  July 4, 2008

  There's no truer slice of Americana in our theme parks than the Voices of Liberty, a patriotic a cappella singing troupe stationed within Epcot's American Pavilion. The primary gig for the group, outfitted in Colonial attire, is performing in the lobby before screenings of the building's inspirational film The American Adventure. The song list varies from show to show but typically includes Americana tunes, a dream-oriented Disney number and a salute to U.S. troops, past and present.

• Nights are brighter at SeaWorld Orlando with new AfterDark shows

  June 27, 2008

  SeaWorld Orlando has this extended summertime hours thing figured out. Naturally, theme-park guests will linger longer and later when given good reason, so the SeaWorld AfterDark promotion offers up fresh reasons -- entertainment not available during the day.

• Force is with you if you're a 'Star Wars' fan

  June 20, 2008

  Something's amiss at Disney's Hollywood Studios when Imperial stormtroopers bark at guests from perches above the turnstiles. But the faux menace of the white-armored warriors is one of the ways that even casual fans can enjoy Star Wars Weekends.

• So you want to spin the wheel?

  June 13, 2008

  The search for contestants for the Wheel of Fortune episodes that will be taped at SeaWorld Orlando will begin with a two-day visit of the Wheelmobile Sept. 27-28.

• Little nooks provide a cool, soothing moment of solitude at theme parks

  June 13, 2008

  When I need a break from the sun or the teeming masses at Disney's Animal Kingdom, I have a hideaway in the shadow of the park's Tree of Life. It's a ledge bench that faces the tranquil Discovery River and for a moment, everyone and everything else -- including the Expedition Everest coaster -- seems far, far away.

• Need a dose of Disney? New sites put you there

  May 23, 2008

  On your next Magic Kingdom visit, your grandmother in Wisconsin can virtually tag along.

• Previews pack 'em in at theme parks' new Simpsons, Toy Story attractions

  May 16, 2008

  Annual passholders hunger for new attractions in the theme parks. Heck, they'll stand in line for hours for preview privileges, as was demonstrated on two fronts in the past week.

• The Simpsons ride, Universal Studio's newest adventure, gives up its secrets

  May 2, 2008

  Universal Studios has opened The Simpsons Ride to the public, and we may be on the verge of an outbreak of bright-yellow fever. The attraction, based on Fox's long-running animated series, is prompting loads of questions, so here are a few answers based on multiple rides and insider information.

• Animal Kingdom anniversary inspires safari down memory lane

  April 25, 2008

  The 10th anniversary of Disney's Animal Kingdom this week puts me in a 1998 mind-set, back in the days before the official opening of Disney World's fourth theme park.

• A thrill is in the air

  April 18, 2008

  I'm in the Hot Seat, about 100 feet in the air, parallel to the ground, facing blacktop below.

• Readers' theme for parks? Better, cheaper food service

  April 11, 2008

  A few columns back, I presented my wish list for Central Florida's theme parks. Some items were wistful, some witchy. Now you readers strike back with more e-mail than I have received on any other subject. The dominant theme: Improved food service, please, and make it less expensive.

• 'Garden Police' chief lays down the law

  April 4, 2008

  Shirley Bovshow went from real-estate professional to stay-at-home mom/avid gardener to landscape designer to TV personality. She eventually landed her own show, Garden Police, on Discovery Home Channel. "I'm kind of like Rachael Ray with dirty hands," Bovshow says. Her last trip to Disney World was in December for a family reunion. This weekend, she'll speak during the Great American Gardeners series in Garden Town at noon and 3 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday.

• Guide to Epcot's Garden Fest

  April 4, 2008

  Disney World's annual salute to all things flowery is back, bursting with greenery, gardeners and assorted perennial activities. Now that the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival has grown to a record 75 days -- up from 60 -- there's more time to stop and smell the roses. Here are tips to get the most out of the event.

• If all my dreams come true, theme parks will be even better

  March 21, 2008

  Welcome to spring, where one daydreams about future days, even at our theme parks. Here's my current "I wish" list:

• Disney does a monster bash!

  March 14, 2008

  I didn't spot the kitchen sink, but I bet it's there somewhere during the new Block Party Bash at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Everything else is tossed into this parade -- scooters, gigantic orange traffic cones, bouncy stilts, trampolines, hydraulic lifts, extensive choreography, crowd participation, Green Army Men barking orders, blowing banners, jump ropes, tambourines, vibrant costuming and characters from three Pixar movies. It's set to a party-mix soundtrack with (gasp!) only one Disney song.

• Have a hot time at Old Town today, tomorrow or tonight

  February 29, 2008

  Pop quiz, ranger readers. Imagine yourself a Central Florida attraction, a mix of retail, restaurants and rides. Caricaturists are on duty. Stores offer Versace sunglasses, gourmet coffees, celebrity-based paraphernalia -- even your name on a single grain of rice. British people mill about. A boardwalk feat of strength rates hammering contestants' prowess from "Tinkerbell" to "Hercules" levels. High School Musical merchandise is on sale for 20 percent off.

• Kid rockers find their beat in Playhouse Disney

  October 19, 2007

  It's a small-child world after all during the Playhouse Disney in Concert series at Disney- MGM Studios. The entertainment is geared to preschoolers and toddlers - and not a few parents to boot.

• Theme park favorites bring chills, thrills and smiles

  October 5, 2007

  My list of theme-park favorites evolves. Sometimes an attraction gets tired; sometimes it's just me. Who knows what tomorrow holds? Next year's list I could be swooning about Toy Story Mania or the Simpsons ride, but here's what's tops now:

• Experiencing an excursion to Holy Land

  August 31, 2007

  Where two or more are gathered, and the topic is Holy Land Experience, there are a few standard responses.