African Queen - Key Largo, Florida
The marina at the Holiday Inn Key Largo (Mile Marker 100) is home to the original boat used in the classic 1951 movie, The African Queen, which was directed by legendary director John Huston and starred Humphrey Bogart, Katherine Huston and Robert Morley.
Blue Hole - Big Pine Key, Florida
The largest body of fresh water in the Florida Keys, the Blue Hole is an old rock quarry created during the construction of the Florida East Coast Railway, according to legend. Today, the Blue Hole is home to alligators, turtles, fish, ducks and a variety of wading birds. The Blue Hole is located at Mile Marker 30.5 (bayside).
Christ of the Deep - Key Largo, Florida
The John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, "America's First Undersea Park," is home to the famous nine-foot-tall bronze "Christ of the Deep" statue, which lies 25 feet beneath the ocean in the Key Largo National Marine Sanctuary.
Coral Castle - Homestead, Florida
How did one individual endeavor to procure and sculpt more than 1,100 tons of coral rock into a “fantasy world carved out of stone” using only homemade tools? The secrets still lie within Coral Castle, "America's Stonehenge," the bizarre masterpiece of obsessive genius Ed Leedskalnin, which was built over a 28-year period.
Dry Tortugas National Park - Key West, Florida
About 70 miles West of Key West lies Dry Tortugas National Park, which is home to historic Fort Jefferson. Dry Tortugas National Park is accessible only by boat, ferry or seaplane.
Flipper's Grave - Grassy Key, Florida
Grassy Key in the Florida Keys is home to the Dolphin Research Center, which also serves as the final resting place for the original "Flipper" (real name: Mitzi), the most famous dolphin in film and TV history. Mitzi is buried in the Center's courtyard.
Jackie Gleason's Mausoleum - Miami, Florida
An immense outdoor mauseoleum at the Our Lady of Mercy Catholic Cemetery in Miami serves as the final resting place for Jackie Gleason, who will always be remembered for his role as Ralph Kramden in "The Honeymooners." The only inscription on the mausoleum is Gleason's signature parting lines: "And Away We Go."
Jules' Undersea Lodge - Key Largo, Florida
The only underwater hotel in the United States, Jules' Undersea Lodge lies approximately 30 feet beneath the sea and guests have to scuba dive to reach the two-bedroom habitat.
Key West Cemetery - Key West, Florida
Opened in 1847, the historic Key West Cemetery is home to a monument for sailors who died during the sinking of the U.S.S. Maine in 1898, as well as a number of quirky inscriptions such as "I Told You I Was Sick" and "Devoted Fan of Julio Iglesias."
Monkey Jungle - Miami, Florida
Visit Monkey Jungle - "Where Humans are Caged and Monkeys Run Wild!" One of the few protected habitats for endangered primates in the country, Monkey Jungle is home to more than 400 primates that run free on a 30-acre reserve. A total of 30 primate species are represented here such as spider monkeys, colobus, gibbons and guenons.
Perky's Bat Tower - Sugarloaf Key, Florida
Built in 1929 by Florida Keys entrepreneur, Richter Perky, as a way to attract mosquito-eating bats, Perky's Bat Tower never attracted any bats but today it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Seven Mile Bridge - Marathon Key, Florida
A masterpiece of engineering, the Seven Mile Bridge was constructed between 1979 and 1982 on the Overseas Highway and serves to connect the Middle Keys (Marathon Key) to the Lower Keys (Little Duck Key). For the record, the actual length of the Seven Mile Bridge is 6.79 miles.
Southernmost Point - Key West, Florida
A huge buoy-like structure at the corner of Whitehead and South streets in Key West supposedly marks the "Southernmost Point in the United States," which is only 90 miles North of Cuba.
World Erotic Art Museum - Miami Beach, Florida
The World Erotic Art Museum boasts an extensive collection of more than 4,000 artifacts that comprehensively document the history of eroticism from 200 B.C. until today.
World's Largest Drive-In - Sunrise, Florida
Open since 1963, the Fort Lauderdale Swap Shop boasts the largest drive-in movie theater and daily flea market in the world.
More Offbeat Florida Attractions
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Friday, April 6, 2007
Top 10 Worst Disney World Attractions
We always hear the rave reviews about such great Disney World thrill rides as Expedition Everest at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, Mission: SPACE at Epcot, Splash Mountain at Disney’s Magic Kingdom and Twilight Zone Tower of Terror at Disney-MGM Studios. However, what about those Disney World attractions that we love to hate, the ones that never draw a long line, the mediocre rides that have taken the place of true Disney classics (does Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride ring a bell)?
Therefore, here’s my list of the top 10 worst Disney World attractions (hey, if you don’t like it, feel free to compile your own list!):
1. Stitch’s Great Escape: Based on a mediocre animated movie, Lilo & Stitch, Stitch’s Great Escape in Tomorrowland tops the list since it will bore anyone over the age of 5 and, worst of all, it actually replaced a popular attraction, ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter!
2. Sounds Dangerous: This extremely dull Disney-MGM Studios show highlights “wacky audio illusions” and stars third-tier comedian Drew Carey. Skip it at all costs unless you are in desperate need of some air conditioning to beat the heat.
3. Wildlife Express Train: Don’t worry, you won’t see much wildlife during your five-minute journey to Rafiki’s Planet Watch at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. However, you’ll see a few uninteresting warehouse-type buildings along the way (apparently that’s where they house the animals at night or something).
4. Donald’s Boat: Near the back of Mickey’s Toontown Fair lies this big empty boat. Kids will run into it with great expectations and find absolutely nothing to do here. Occasionally, a little water play area is in operation in front of the boat, the S.S. Miss Daisy.
5. The Circle of Life: Characters from Disney’s The Lion King appear in this “amazing ecological adventure” at Epcot. A real snoozer!
6. Swiss Family Treehouse: A massive concrete tree with polyethylene leaves, the 60-foot-tall Swiss Family Treehouse at Adventureland offers a spectacular view from the top. However, you have to climb a total of 116 steps through uninvolving exhibits to get there.
7. Journey into Imagination with Figment: The original Journey into Imagination, which made its debut at Epcot in 1983, was by far the best incarnation but Disney has totally ruined the ride by tinkering with it so much over the years.
8. TriceraTop Spin: Basically a rip-off of Dumbo the Flying Elephant, TriceraTop Spin at Disney’s Animal Kingdom gives you the opportunity of waiting in line for 40 minutes to an hour in order to take a ride for 1 ½ minutes aboard a spinning dinosaur-shaped vehicle.
9. Astro Orbiter: Another spinning rip-off of Dumbo means another extremely long wait for a short, dull ride. Been there, done that (however, you do get a good view of Tomorrowland from high above).
10. Tomorrowland Indy Speedway: Yes, it’s one of the original attractions at Disney’s Magic Kingdom (originally known as Grand Prix Raceway). However, you’ll have more fun at your local go-cart track without having to deal with ridiculously long lines, annoying gas fumes and beaten-up race cars that travel at speeds up to a whopping 7.5 miles per hour along a guided track!
Therefore, here’s my list of the top 10 worst Disney World attractions (hey, if you don’t like it, feel free to compile your own list!):
1. Stitch’s Great Escape: Based on a mediocre animated movie, Lilo & Stitch, Stitch’s Great Escape in Tomorrowland tops the list since it will bore anyone over the age of 5 and, worst of all, it actually replaced a popular attraction, ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter!
2. Sounds Dangerous: This extremely dull Disney-MGM Studios show highlights “wacky audio illusions” and stars third-tier comedian Drew Carey. Skip it at all costs unless you are in desperate need of some air conditioning to beat the heat.
3. Wildlife Express Train: Don’t worry, you won’t see much wildlife during your five-minute journey to Rafiki’s Planet Watch at Disney’s Animal Kingdom. However, you’ll see a few uninteresting warehouse-type buildings along the way (apparently that’s where they house the animals at night or something).
4. Donald’s Boat: Near the back of Mickey’s Toontown Fair lies this big empty boat. Kids will run into it with great expectations and find absolutely nothing to do here. Occasionally, a little water play area is in operation in front of the boat, the S.S. Miss Daisy.
5. The Circle of Life: Characters from Disney’s The Lion King appear in this “amazing ecological adventure” at Epcot. A real snoozer!
6. Swiss Family Treehouse: A massive concrete tree with polyethylene leaves, the 60-foot-tall Swiss Family Treehouse at Adventureland offers a spectacular view from the top. However, you have to climb a total of 116 steps through uninvolving exhibits to get there.
7. Journey into Imagination with Figment: The original Journey into Imagination, which made its debut at Epcot in 1983, was by far the best incarnation but Disney has totally ruined the ride by tinkering with it so much over the years.
8. TriceraTop Spin: Basically a rip-off of Dumbo the Flying Elephant, TriceraTop Spin at Disney’s Animal Kingdom gives you the opportunity of waiting in line for 40 minutes to an hour in order to take a ride for 1 ½ minutes aboard a spinning dinosaur-shaped vehicle.
9. Astro Orbiter: Another spinning rip-off of Dumbo means another extremely long wait for a short, dull ride. Been there, done that (however, you do get a good view of Tomorrowland from high above).
10. Tomorrowland Indy Speedway: Yes, it’s one of the original attractions at Disney’s Magic Kingdom (originally known as Grand Prix Raceway). However, you’ll have more fun at your local go-cart track without having to deal with ridiculously long lines, annoying gas fumes and beaten-up race cars that travel at speeds up to a whopping 7.5 miles per hour along a guided track!
Top 10 Most Popular Theme Parks for 2006
1. Disney's Magic Kingdom - 16.6 million visitors
2. Disneyland - 14.7 million visitors
3. Epcot - 10.4 million visitors
4. Disney-MGM Studios - 9.1 million visitors
5. Disney's Animal Kingdom - 6 million
6. Universal Studios Orlando - 6 million
7. Disney's California Adventure - 5.9 million
8. SeaWorld Orlando - 5.7 million
9. Universal's Islands of Adventure - 5.3 million
10. Universal Studios Hollywood - 4.7 million
Sources: Park World, InPark, TEA Inc., Economics Research Associates
2. Disneyland - 14.7 million visitors
3. Epcot - 10.4 million visitors
4. Disney-MGM Studios - 9.1 million visitors
5. Disney's Animal Kingdom - 6 million
6. Universal Studios Orlando - 6 million
7. Disney's California Adventure - 5.9 million
8. SeaWorld Orlando - 5.7 million
9. Universal's Islands of Adventure - 5.3 million
10. Universal Studios Hollywood - 4.7 million
Sources: Park World, InPark, TEA Inc., Economics Research Associates
Wednesday, March 28, 2007
Top 10 Defunct Disney World Attractions
1. Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride
2. 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
3. If You Had Wings
4. Captain EO
5. ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter
6. World of Motion
7. Who Wants to be a Millionaire – Play It!
8. Plaza Swan Boats
9. Mickey Mouse Revue
10. Flight to the Moon
Click here for more defunct Disney World Attractions!
Thursday, March 8, 2007
Creepy Disney World Commercial, 1971
Whoever came up with this 1971 Disney World commercial must have been dropping acid. It sounds like Orson Welles doing the narration - who can blame him, he needed the money! I guess it beat doing those moronic Paul Masson wine commercials . . .
For more classic Disney videos, visit Disney World Retro!
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