09 Aug

Disney World Cheapies and Freebies: Doing Dw on a Shoestring

Has the high costs of Disney World kept you and your family from taking the vacation of your dreams? Perhaps you haven’t done enough investigating. Being aware of a number of little known cheapies and freebies might make your dream come true. Not everything at Disney World comes with a high ticket.

Boardwalk

Disney’s Boardwalk, reminiscent of Atlantic City Boardwalk in the 1940s, offers plenty of family fun at little or no cost. For those staying on the Disney property, Disney transportation is available to get to the Boardwalk. For those driving, you can get a free 3-hour parking permit from the lot attendant.

• The promenade along the water offers a breathtaking view. It’s fun to stroll and look.

• Often you will see street performers, such as jugglers, comedians, jazz ensembles or fire-eaters.

• Vendors along the Boardwalk sell inexpensive food treats.

• Carnival-style games are available for a small cost. Try your luck!

• Watch the Friendship Boats coming and going.

Downtown Disney

Downtown Disney offers a number of free and inexpensive things to do:

• Wonderful interactive fountains are amazing and fun. And what a great backdrop for your take-home photos! Jump in and enjoy!

• The kids will go wild at the Lego Imagination Center. The Center offers a 3,000-square-foot play area filled with thousands of Lego blocks. Huge Lego sculptures are also available to study and admire.

• Stop by the Magic Masters shop and see the FREE magic demonstrations. You may learn a few tricks yourself.

• Pleasure Island is an un-gated area at night. That means during the evening hours, guests are allowed in at no charge. It’s a fun place to soak up the ambiance – for free!

Budget Hotels

During the last decade, Disney has built budget-type, motel-type hotels which offers rooms for less than $100 a night. Efficient and clean, these facilities have met with mixed reviews. Check them out before deciding. The hotels are spread over four sprawling properties:

• All- Star Movies

• All-Star Music

• All-Star Sports

• Pop Century

Fort Wilderness

A little-known area known as Fort Wilderness offers one of the greatest bargains at Disney World, and lots of low-cost fun. Families can come in the family RV or rent one of the cabins. Either way, bring a few of your own basic groceries as the prices as the area stores are a little high.

Air-conditioned cabins (about 400 of them) offer the following amenities:

• Fully-equipped kitchens

• Dining table with seating for six

• Air conditioning

• Full bathroom

• Nonsmoking rooms available

• Irons, ironing boards, coffee makers, hairdryers and VCRs in each room

• Patio deck

• Picnic table and charcoal grill

• Fold-away crib

• In-room safes

• Dual line phones with voicemail

• Disney Channel and ESPN

• Daily housekeeping

• Access to nearby laundry facilities/services

The Campfire Program at Fort Wilderness is open to all Disney World guests. You’ll find it near the Meadow Trading Post in the campfire area. A Disney Cast Member leads the sing-a-long while the kids roast marshmallows over the open fire. Your can bring your own marshmallows and snacks, or purchase them at the Chuckwagon.

The kids will be thrilled when Chip and Dale make an appearance and sign autographs. All this is followed by a Disney feature film on the large outdoor screen. Bleachers and benches are available or you can bring your own blankets.

Two heated outdoor swimming pools are available for Fort Wilderness guests – one near the Meadow Trading Post, the second smaller one located near the cabin area.

Guests appreciate the fact that at Fort Wilderness, a boat ferries between Magic Kingdom and the Fort Wilderness dock, which means they beat the crowds following the nightly Magic Kingdom fireworks show.

Food and Drinks

No one will deny that food at Disney World is pricey, but planning ahead can greatly reduce these costs.

Bring your own trail mix, energy bars, or bags of bagels for breakfast – a savings in both time and money. Keep in mind that early morning is the least crowded time of day so you’ll not want to waste it waiting for your order at a restaurant.

For another eating time-saver, take advantage of the counter-service outlets such as the Animal Kingdom’s Pizzafari. Portions are large, prices are small, and service is quick.

Order double cheeseburgers and let the kids split them. It sounds cheap, but it’s another bargain idea to consider when a basic combo meal may run more than ten bucks.

Purchase refillable mugs offered at the Trails End Restaurant and refill them throughout the day at the designated locations.

Bring your own water bottles and fill them at the available fountains. Be sure to bring a carrying strap for them so your hands will be free.

Taking the time to plan ahead and cut a few corners with food and drink items, allows you to enjoy a few splurge meals in the more upscale Magic Kingdom eateries.

Add Your Own Ideas

This is not a comprehensive list of Cheapies and Freebies at Disney World, but it should get your creative juices flowing adding ideas of your own. And maybe, just maybe, it will help your dream vacation to become reality soon.

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10 Jul

Australian Masters Games – Geelong 2009



Geelong, Victoria will host the 12th Annual Australian Masters Games between February 20th – March 1st 2009. An estimated 10,000 competitors are expected to compete in over 60 sports across 80 venues in the City of Greater Geelong and the surrounding districts.

The Australian Masters Games began in 1987 in Tasmania and have since been held biennially in various cities around Australia. They are run by the Confederation of Australian Sport (CAS) whose moto is ‘Sport for All’. Competitors over the age of 30 from both Australia and New Zealand are eligible to compete in events designed to encourage both social interaction, camaraderie and the lifelong participation in the various sports.

Events will include the traditional track and field events plus several new additions including surfing, outrigger canoeing, golf pitch and putt, BMX and Speedway.

Competitors can register their interest online from 23 June 2008, with last entries being accepted on Friday 5th December 2008

The Patron of the Geelong Australian Masters Games is Mr John Landy AC, MBE whose childhood was spent in Geelong and was only the second man to break the 4 minute mile record in 1954 after Roger Bannister. The Games official Ambassadors include Mr Frank Costs OAM, a prominent Geelong businessman and President of the Geelong Football Club and Mr Russell Mark, a prominent Australian Olympian.

Geelong is located approximately 75 km’s from the Victorian State Capital of Melbourne and is located overlooking on the picturesque Corio Bay. As Victoria’s second largest city it is steeped in history and is the gateway to such iconic Australian tourism destinations as the Twelve Apostles, The Otway Ranges and the Bellarine Peninsula.

Accommodation for the games should be booked early via the Geelong Accommodation website. You will also find this site a useful source of local and regional information.

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26 Feb

Lake Lanier Crappie Fishing



Lake Lanier can be found in the state of Georgia and is fed by the Chestatee River. Lake Lanier holds 38,000 acres of water and has a shoreline that stretches 692 miles long. It is sometimes referred to as Lake Sidney Lanier and it is an excellent place to go crappie fishing. One reason anglers have such great success here is because the water is perfect for catching crappie. This species of fish can be spooked very easily in clear water and so the stained water of Lake Lanier is a perfect environment for catching them.

Lake Lanier is one of Georgia’s main attractions and the crappie can be found mostly on the northern end of this lake. As the temperature of the water begins to warm up you will find the crappie in the shallow water located around docks, brush and other structures. You will get the best results when you fish around areas with plenty of shade. You will also find them grouped together near and in the major bends of the lake.

Many times you can search for docks that already have rod holders attached and you will know where other anglers have had good luck in the past. After a good rain the water in Lake Lanier is even darker than normal making it that much easier to catch the crappie. Many anglers that fish this lake regular say they have the best results when they use small minnows and jigs to fish for the crappie.

How to Catch Crappie in Lake Lanier

Catching crappie in Lake Lanier is fairly easy if you know where to look. The north end of the lake usually produces the best results when fishing for crappie. This is partly because the water is darker here so the number of crappie is greater in this area than in other part of the lake. The more abundant the crappie the better results you can expect.

Crappie is what anglers call line sensitive fish and so you will get the best results when you use four pound test line to fish for them. Of course, if you are fishing really close to structures you may want to go a little heavier to avoid breakage of your line from the structures. You should also use an ultralight fishing rod because these will help you feel when the crappie takes the bait. Spincasting and mini-baitcasting reels are the most popular ones to use.

Even though it seems like crappie are able to distinguish colors the water will distort the color of the lure you are using. Things like how deep the fish are located in the water, the temperature of the water and how clear the water is will all affect the color of the lures used. Many anglers have reported having the best luck when they use white, red or chartreuse lure for fishing in Lake Lanier. If you believe there is a school of crappie located in the area you are fishing but they are not taking your bait, try a different color to see if you get better results. The best weight to use seems to be ones weighing 1/32 ounce.

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