Places to Travel in the USA in "2008"

Hello Everyone. Wanted to share with you the TOP destinations where folks are traveling in the United States in "2008". Out of this list of destinations, Walt Disney World is the feature for this BLOG.

Walt Disney World

Disney World

Disney World is a huge resort complex
Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida is not just a theme park, but a huge resort complex covering 47 square miles. The resort contains four separate theme parks, three water parks and 99 holes of golf on several different courses. Miles of outdoor recreation are available including hiking, biking, boating and swimming. It has three separate areas containing shopping, dining and entertainment facilities as well as a fourth area with nightclubs. A fairly new addition to the resort is the state of the art sports complex where Disney hosts a wide variety of sporting events. Finally, there are about 18 Disney owned and operated hotels and several non-Disney hotels in the resort. All this combined with many other attractions in the Orlando and central Florida area can be quite overwhelming.

Cinderella's Castle

No other Disney Park equals Disney World in Florida
No other Disney resort comes close to the size and diversity of Disney World Florida. If you have previously visited one of the other Disney resorts such as Disneyland California, Disneyland Paris or the new Disneyland Tokyo, you should still visit Disney World in Orlando, Florida. All other Disney resorts consist of a single theme park and are quite small compared to the massive resort complex in Florida. Each of the other parks are no larger than the Magic Kingdom theme park in Disney World, which is only one small part of the complex. Remember, that only the resort in Orlando, Florida is referred to as Disney World or Walt Disney World. The other parks are usually called Disneyland. The size and diversity of the Disney World resort ensures that it will probably remain the number one vacation destination in the world for years to come.

DWTickets is your discount source for all central Florida attractions, including Disney World Tickets, Sea World tickets, Orlando Dinner Shows, Pirates Adventure, Arabian Nights, and Park Hopper Tickets. Buy your Disney Tickets today at DWTickets.com.

The main attractions at the resort are divided into four theme-parks
Magic Kingdom, the first theme park built at the resort, has rides, shows and attractions divided among seven fantasy areas. This is the place to find all your favorite Disney characters and attractions.

Epcot, the second theme park built at the resort, is divided into two areas: Future World and World Showcase. The attractions in Future World are based on modern and futuristic advances in communication, transportation, energy, agriculture and much more. World Showcase allows you to explore culture, cuisine, shopping and entertainment from many countries including Canada, UK, France, Japan, Morocco, US, Italy, Germany, China, Norway and Mexico.
Light Parade

The Disney-MGM Studios offers behind-the-scenes looks at the making of movies and popular TV shows and provides live original shows. There are also a number of thrilling rides or attractions based on blockbuster movies, which provide exciting stunts and amazing special effects.

Animal Kingdom is the newest and largest theme park to open in the Disney World resort. This 500-acre park is divided into three areas: The Real, The Mythical and The Extinct. The Real area features live animals in exotic landscapes and provides a safari-like experience. In The Mythical area, guests come face-to-face with magical and make believe creatures. In the Extinct Area, dinosaurs come to life.
Disney Transportation

The Water Parks are a great way to cool off
The four theme parks are the heart of Disney World, but there are many other attractions including three full-sized water parks. Typhoon Lagoon is a tropically landscaped 56-acre water park based around a huge wave pool that covers 2.5 acres and holds 2.75 million gallons of water. At certain times the pool is even used for surfing. Blizzard Beach is Disney's newest and largest water park and the most interesting. It is made to look like a snow-covered ski-resort and offers the most slides and the most thrilling attractions. River Country, the first water park built at Disney World, is actually a roped-off section of Bay Lake and is designed to give the feeling of "an old swimming hole." It is the most tame and relaxing. Spending a day at one of the Disney World water parks can be a pleasant break from the theme parks as well as a great way to cool off from the hot Florida sun.

There are many recreational activities
Disney World offers lots of outdoor recreation. It has five challenging 18-hole golf courses as well as a 9-hole beginner's course and a 36-hole miniature golf course for family fun. If you prefer tennis there are many courts throughout the resort including Disney's Contemporary Resort Racquet Club. Water sports are plentiful including water-skiing, parasailing, fishing and many types of boat rental. For the extremely adventurous, there is the Richard Petty driving experience where you can drive an actual Nascar racing car. The car has about 600 hp and can attain speeds of up to 160 mph.

Disney World even offers cruises and education
Disney World has still more vacation options such as the Disney Institute and the new Disney Cruise Line. The Disney Institute offers many great hands-on classes designed for fun and education. It is located in the Disney World resort so you are still close to all the other attractions as well. The Disney cruise line combines a Disney World resort vacation with a Caribbean cruise. You stay at the resort in Florida for several days, then board a Disney cruise ship and sail to Disney's own private-island resort in the Bahamas.

The Official Ticket Center is Orlando's #1 discount attraction ticket broker agency, serving millions around the world. All prices are TAX INCLUDED with no hidden fees for Walt Disney World, Universal Studios Orlando, Sea World Orlando, and other World Famous Attraction Theme Parks. Discounted Dinner Show tickets also available for Arabian Nights, Sea World's Makahiki Luau, Sleuth's Mystery Dinner Show, Pirates Dinner Show Adventure and Medieval Times Save time and money without standing in line at the theme park ticket windows.

Work at Disney and earn college credits
Disney World has a special college program for young adults. Students can earn college credits while working and living in the Disney World resort. This program is extremely popular with young adults from around the world. Several links are included for anyone wanting more information.

As you can see, there is plenty to do at Walt Disney World, and there are many other attractions in the Orlando area and the rest of Florida. Some planning is required to get the most out of your Disney vacation but don't worry, the planning can be half the fun.

Written by: Gerry Leco

Las Vegas

On any given evening in Las Vegas, you will find hundreds of entertainment events such as the renown Las Vegas stage shows, world class sporting events, performances by world famous entertainers plus music, dance and comedy at large and small venues throughout the city. This city never seems to sleep. The frivolity continues long into the night and the serious gamblers continue their pursuit of riches until well after the morning sun has risen on a new day.

Written by: Mike Leco

Los Angeles

Los Angeles is the largest city in California and the second largest city in the United States of America. It is located on the southern coast of California about 75 miles (120km) north of the Mexican border and 400 miles (600km) south of San Francisco. The original name of the city was "El Pueblo de Nuestra Senora la Reina de los Angeles" or "The Village of Our Lady the Queen of Angels", but the name was shortened for obvious reasons.

Written by: Mike Leco
Top Photo Credit: Mike Leco © USATourist.com
Photo Description: Downtown Los Angeles

- San Francisco

San Francisco is on the coast of California about 400 miles north of Los Angeles. It is situated along the shore of a large bay sheltered behind the California Coastal Mountains. The city is renown for its steep streets with panoramic views of beautiful San Francisco Bay and the surrounding mountains. It has a very moderate climate with warm summers and chilly winters but without extremes. Constant breezes off of the Pacific Ocean keep the summers from becoming too hot and also prevent freezing winter weather. Take a sweater, as the evening breezes can be quite brisk all year round!

Written by: Mike Leco
Top Photo Credit: © J. Paul Meurant
Photo Description: Golden Gate Bridge

Orlando

Orlando is located in central Florida 75 miles northeast of Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater Beach. It is 50 miles due west of Cape Canaveral, the Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach. Best known as the home of Disney World, this city is also the center of the largest concentration of family entertainment attractions in the world.

Written by: Mike Leco


Miami

Miami is located on the Atlantic coast of Florida at the southern tip. It is warm year around and usually very hot and humid during the summer months. Most tourists prefer to visit during October through April. Outdoor sports and swimming are open all seasons, so be sure to take your swimming suit and plenty of cool clothing. A sun hat and a good sunscreen are essential even in the winter months. In Miami, dress is always casual, with sundresses, jeans or walking shorts appropriate during the day. A few higher-class restaurants require jackets and ties, but most do not.

Hundreds of thousands of Hispanic immigrants from Cuba, Puerto Rico, Central America and South America have settled in Miami. Spanish is spoken almost everywhere in the city. Many signs are in both English and Spanish especially those near the Latin district known locally as "Little Havana". Cubans originally settled in the area around Calle Ocho Street (Southwest Eighth Street) more than 20 years ago. Today, this colorful area embraces immigrants from all over Latin America.

Written by: Joane

New York City

New York City is located on the eastern coast of the United States about 1000 miles north of Florida and 200 miles South of Boston. It is situated at the mouth of the Hudson River, and is divided into five districts called boroughs. Long Island stretches almost 100 miles to the east of New York City and the state of New Jersey lies just across the Hudson River to the west. The "Big Apple", as the city is often called, is the largest city in the US with over 7 million residents. It is filled with a diverse mixture of inhabitants including immigrants from many countries. Some of its many neighborhoods, such as Chinatown, Little Italy, and Spanish Harlem reflect the rich ethnic heritages of the resident's original homelands.
Manhattan and Central Park

Written by: Mike Leco

Do you need Travel Insurance?

Is Travel Insurance necessary?

This is one of those topics that nobody likes to discuss but everyone needs to discuss. Let’s face it. You need travel insurance when you go on a trip. Buying it before you leave is a necessary part of travel planning. Travel is an uncertain activity that can often go wrong. We are fallible, fragile human beings whose lives can never be entirely uneventful, and who sometimes fall ill while traveling, or need to cancel a trip for a dozen reasons, or interrupt it in mid-course. We need travel insurance and it’s easy and inexpensive to obtain. The most basic type of coverage costs about $5.50 per every thousand covered. However, prices will vary by the type of coverage you choose and the traveler’s age. All travel vendors offer some type of cancellation or trip interruption insurance and those policies can be included in the cost of the trip whether you book them on line or directly with the vendor.

Think you don’t need insurance. Think again. These are some typical situations all covered by various policies. Without insurance, what would you do?

It’s 10PM and your family arrives at the airport for a connecting flight only to find that the flight has been cancelled. How do you get your family home?

Your traveling companion’s bag was lost with his insulin inside. He needs help to locate his bag as soon as possible and his emergency prescription filled. Who do you call?

Your first trip to Europe, and your passport and wallet are stolen. Where do you turn for emergency cash, and how will you get your passport replaced?

Your spouse is involved in an accident and adequate medical treatment is not available. Who will help arrange and pay for a medical evacuation?

Your cruise line, airline or tour operator goes bankrupt. Who will pay for your non-refundable expenses? Who will help get you to your destination?

If your sister-in-law becomes seriously ill and you choose to cancel your trip, what happens to your non-refundable deposits or pre-payments?

You are at a beach resort in North Carolina, and are forced to evacuate due to an approaching hurricane. Who will help you evacuate and who will reimburse your lost vacation?
Selecting the right type of travel insurance can cover all of these situations.

If you are like most of us, you don’t just look forward to your vacations, you need them. Protect your vacation investment. Missing a vacation is bad enough. Losing the money you paid for a vacation is even worse. Everyone needs travel insurance for every trip. Don’t leave home without it.

Reasons why people cruise

Reasons Why People Choose To Cruise Travel;

Why do people choose to go on cruises, instead of booking a plane flight? One thing that attracts people to these large boats and cruises is the food. Not only does a cruise offer breakfast, lunch and dinner, they also offer midnight buffets, afternoon snack buffets, ice cream bars and 24-hour room service! There is a veritable open bar on food. You can eat casually or formally. You can have a large meal or a small meal. You can eat with hundreds of people or privately. Keep in mind, of course, that the quality of the cruise line determines the quality of the food. Also remember that many of the cruise ships are feeding approximately 2000 people 10 meals per day!

A cruise offers everything you could possibly want from a getaway: entertainment, relaxation, great food, and variety. Next time, don't overlook that great big boat out in the harbor.

Entertainment is another attraction. Most cruise lines run full-scale production shows, have live bands, and/or add other specials for the children. The Disney Cruise line offers meals with Disney characters and special entertainment geared towards the younger crowd. Floating casinos adorn most cruise ships to the delight of many adults who use this as their evening entertainment. Having activities planned throughout the entire day, some cruise lines are like floating day camps. You can be as active or inactive as you choose to be.

Cruises offer one-stop-shopping. Variety. One flight plus one boat equals lots of different locations. It would be impossible to attempt to visit each port individually outside of a cruise line. It would be very expensive and much too time consuming. There would be no time for fun. Once aboard the ship, you leave only to visit the places of port. No need to pack and unpack. No need for unnecessary travel. On the ship, you have any number of things to keep you entertained while waiting for the next docking.

Carnival Cruises is great for the first time cruiser. It has many departure sites around the country. Land and sea prices are available for those who need to fly to a port of departure. Just a few of the destinations to which Carnival Cruise Lines will take you include: the Bahamas, Aruba, St. Thomas, St. John, San Juan Puerto Rico, the Caribbean, the Keys, Cozumel, Hawaii, Alaska, Martinique and Barbados.

Celebrity Cruises is higher-end. It has a sophisticated AquaSpa on board and sports a unique art collection on the Galaxy ship as well. Celebrity has received a 5-star rating for its cuisine (not food but cuisine). If all of that is not impressive enough, it also includes an in-cabin entertainment and information center.

Radisson Seven Seas, Seaborn Cruises and Windstar Cruises offer even more luxury than the Celebrity line. The Radisson offers the ultimate luxurious experience by managing suites only. It also offers unique destinations such as Tahiti, French Polynesia, Antarctica, the Mediterranean, and Europe. The Windstar line has romantic trimasted ships and sail to the Caribbean, The Americas, the Greek Isles and Europe.

As you can see, there are cruise lines for everyone. These lines are just a few of the many options of cruises. But every line has something which makes it unique, so you might want to do some research to make sure you find the cruise you were looking for.

Items to consider when Booking a Cruise

Booking;



An increasing number of cruise companies are adopting so-called automatic gratuity programs. The companies say such programs spare passengers the confusion of figuring out who gets what and the hassle of juggling money. Cynics may suspect the real purpose is to shanghai your wallet, but in fact, the amounts charged are close to what travel agents recommend customers tip anyway.

The confusion about cruise tipping is understandable. There are headwaiters, waiters, assistant waiters, cabin stewards and others who may expect gratuities -- or not. Some cruise lines, especially luxury ones, discourage tips. As recently as 2½ years ago, Seabourn Cruise Line staff members could be fired for accepting tips, says spokesman Bruce Good. Now they may accept them but can be fired for soliciting them.

Alas, not all cruise lines that encourage tipping recommend the same amounts, and the job titles of the crew may vary too. But most suggestions are in these ranges, per passenger per day: Cabin steward/stewardess/attendant, $3 to $4; waiter/server, $3 to $4; assistant waiter/busboy, $1.50 to $2.50; headwaiter/head server, 50 cents to $1.

Bartenders are a special case. Many lines automatically include 15 percent for service in the bar bill, meaning you needn't tip.

Passengers traditionally leave tips in envelopes on the last night of the cruise, which can lead to quite a backup at the purser's desk. With automatic gratuity programs, you avoid that, obviously. But an important point about such programs is that you usually can opt out of them or increase or decrease the amounts by notifying the purser once you're on board. You don't have to do it their way.

Your best sources for tipping guidelines on your particular cruise are travel agents and the line you book. Here's a roundup of some lines' general practices. (All amounts are stated per passenger per day, unless otherwise noted.)

Carnival: The line has an automatic gratuity program (which it calls a "reverse gratuity program") on 10 of its 16 ships, with a daily charge of $9.75. The company hopes to expand the program fleet wide within a year, says spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz. In alternate dining rooms (outside the main one), the reservation fee includes a tip. Bar bills include a 15 percent gratuity.

Costa: On Caribbean cruises, the suggestion is $3 each for steward and waiter, $1.50 assistant waiter, $1 headwaiter. On European cruises, the amounts are $1.50 steward, $2.50 waiter, $2.50 "assistant waiter team," 50 cents for maitre d' and "headwaiter team." Bar bills include 15 percent gratuity

Cunard: An automatic gratuity program, begun in 2000, charges $7 on Caronia and $11 to $13 on the Queen Elizabeth 2, depending on cabin category. Bar bills include a 15 percent gratuity.



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Crystal: The line suggests $4 each for stewardess and waiter in the main dining room; $2.50 assistant waiter, $4 for butler (penthouse only); an additional $6 per meal for alternate restaurants. Passengers can tip in advance when they book the cruise. Bar bills include 15 percent gratuity.


Disney: The line gives suggestions by length of cruise; on average per day, about $3.60 for steward, $3.70 server, $2.70 assistant server, 90 cents head server. You can tip in advance, as do about half the guests, a spokeswoman says. Bar bills include 15 percent gratuity.


Holland America: Advertises a "tipping not required" policy and declines to suggest amounts. "You're free to tip if you feel it's warranted," spokesman Erik Elvejord says. "To be honest, most people do tip." Bar bills do not include gratuity.


Norwegian: Automatic gratuity program charges $10 per day for ages 13 and older, $5 for children 3 to 12, no charge younger than 3. Bar bills include 15 percent gratuity.


Princess: Automatic gratuity program fleetwide charges $10 per day; the final two ships added to the program in July were the Royal Princess and the Regal Princess. Bar bills include 15 percent gratuity.

Radisson Seven Seas: No tipping is expected.

Royal Caribbean: It suggests $3.50 each for waiter and steward, $2 assistant waiter, 75 cents headwaiter. Passengers can tip automatically by asking at guest relations (purser) when they board. Bar bills include 15 percent gratuity.


Seabourn: "Tipping is neither required nor expected," the line's Internet site says. "Our staff doesn't expect it . . . and we pay them well," spokesman Good says. But he adds: "If the guest wants to give a tip, who are we to say no?"


Silversea: "No gratuities are required or expected" on this luxury line, where fares can average $800 per day and up, says spokesman Brad Ball. Passengers can tip if they want, "but we don't encourage it," even for spa treatments, he adds.


Windstar: The line advertises a "tipping not required" policy on its Internet site. "Gratuities are not encouraged at all," sales coordinator Jordan Marona says. "But if people want to tip, that's their prerogative."

Top three Cruise Areas

For 2008, let me plan your next GROUP Travel Cruise. In 2007, the amount of annual cruise passengers exceeded 12.6 million.

Top 3 reasons people cruise;
- Can visit several areas/destinations
- Pampering
- Fine Dining

Top 3 Cruise areas;
- Bahammas/Carribean
- Europe/Mediterranean
- Alaska

*Visit www.gottitravel.paradisenetwork.com for contact info (via phone or email)

HAPPY TRAVELING!

For all your travel needs and more;

Check out travel site! Go to: http://www.gottitravel.com/. Once there, click on "Book Now" and you're able to peruse the site powered by Travelocity. Check out "Last Minute Deals" or "Vacation Packages". Enter your email address to receive Special Offers. Any destination is available. The site is fully functional and able to handle your searches, through payment of the entire vacation. Interested in joining the business, check out the presentation on the Home Page.

Happy Traveling!

Last minute Tax Tips - Deadline is April 15, 2008

Wanted to share since the TAX deadline is fast approaching. You can find this info and more around taxes on irs.gov

Last Minute Tax TipsMost of us welcome the middle of April - the weather finally starts to show some of the promise of Spring, letting us know that Summer can't be far behind. For a few harried individuals, however, this time of year is the start of nail-biting, hope-I-didn't-forget-anything dash of paperwork in order to meet the IRS's filing deadline on the 15th. If you're one of these bleary-eyed souls, this last minute guide is for you.

Beat the Deadline;
In order to be considered on time, your return must be properly addressed and postmarked no later than April 15. That doesn't mean that you have until the 15th to start your taxes, however. Procrastinating until the last minute can easily cause you to miss potential sources of tax savings and will put you in far greater jeopardy of making mistakes.

File a Paperless Return;
Filing your return online can be far easier than putting pen to paper the old fashioned way. A number of professional tax return preparers offer electronic filing of tax returns in addition to their normal return preparation services. In most cases these e-filing services do a good job of guiding you through the entire filing process. Most charge a modest fee and offer a range of additional e-filing products for those who need additional assistance.

In addition to being fairly easy, e-filing is the typically the quickest and most accurate method of filing tax return. If you're due a refund, the waiting time for e-filers is half that of paper filers. By filing online you also have the option to have any refund directly deposited into your bank account. Almost 80 million taxpayers filed their returns electronically in last fiscal year.

Payment OptionsIf you can't immediately pay the full balance of taxes you owe, there are still alternatives available to you. You can apply for an IRS installment agreement, using their new Online Payment Agreement application on IRS.gov. This Web-based tool allows qualified taxpayers or their official representatives to self-qualify, apply for, and receive immediate notification of approval. You also have a number of options for charging your balance on a credit or debit card. There is no IRS fee for credit or debit card payments, but the processing companies will charge a convenience fee. E-filers with a balance due may pay their taxes directly from their checking or savings account on the April due date with no service fee.

Extensions;
Should you find that you are unable to file by the due date of your return, you can request an extension of time to file. However, it's important to note that an extension of time to file is not an extension of time to pay. You will owe interest on any past-due tax and you may be subject to a late-payment penalty if payment is not made timely. To receive an automatic 6-month extension of time to file your return, you must file Form 4868 by the due date of your return.

Joint Returns;
If you are married and will be filing a joint return, remember that both husband and wife must sign the return. If your spouse cannot sign (because of disease or injury) and requests that you sign the return, you should sign your spouse's name in the proper place followed by the word "by" your signature, followed by the word "husband" or "wife". Don't forget to also sign in the space provided for your own signature. In addition, you must attach a statement that includes the form number of the return you are filing, the tax year, the reason your spouse cannot sign the return, and a statement that your spouse has agreed to your signing for him or her.Special Rebate

Unless you've been sleepwalking for the last few months, you probably have heard about the individual rebates that many taxpayers will be receiving as part of an economic stimulus package. Under the Economic Stimulus Act of 2008, some 130 million Americans will receive checks entirely separate from normal refunds. The most common questions: who will be getting money, how much and when?

If you earned more than $3,000 for the 2007 tax year but owed no taxes, you will get some money back. If you had any net tax liability for 2007 you should likewise seem some form of rebate. In many cases there is a rebate bonus for taxpayers who claim children (those under 17 years of age). Non resident aliens are excluded from the rebate program. The rebate amount begins filing out if your adjusted gross income is over a certain threshold ($75,000 for single filers, $150,000 for married couples filing jointly).

In general, the basic rebate amounts break down as follows:

Individual taxpayers could receive rebate checks ranging from $300 to $600.Married couples will get up to $1,200.Most individuals who have income of $3,000 but who do not have to file a return will get $300.Some taxpayers with children will receive an additional $300 per child.Because the IRS needs time to the normal glut of 1040s from filing season, checks will not start being issued until May at the earliest. According to the IRS, payment date will be based on the last two-digits of your Social Security number, with checks being mailed between mid-May and Mid-July. If you previously requested that your standard tax return's refund be directly deposited to your bank account, the additional rebate will likewise come through as a direct deposit.

Go to the Pros;
If you've decided to wait until the last minute to file your tax return, chances are this isn't the first time in your life that someone has told you to seek professional help. In all seriousness, when the deadline is fast approaching obtaining a seasoned tax expert is a sound decision. The extra care, protection and expertise that a knowledgeable tax preparer can provide are more than worth the cost of their services.