Reddit mentions: The best speciality travel guides

I wrote a guide book, New Orleans for Free (http://www.amazon.com/New-Orleans-Free-Paul-Oswell-ebook/dp/B00IPQTR1O/).

Here's the free food chapter. For free.

Free game day food
Sports fans, you are the luckiest people in town, because come the days when the New Orleans Saints are playing, lots of bars roll out the free snacks in order to get you to sit and drink for three hours. Again, it’s a rare neighbourhood bar that doesn’t offer SOMETHING in the way of culinary refreshments as they cheer on the black and gold, but among the most celebrated are:
Pal’s Lounge
Not only does this Mid City favourite offer free bar food (such as hot dogs and chilli) on game days (including the bigger college ball games), but it also has free red beans and rice on Monday nights (949 Rendon Street, 504-488-7257, www.palslounge.com).
Henry’s Uptown Bar
Known as something of a quintessential locals bar, it also offers free BBQ during Saints games (5101 Magazine Street, 504-324-8140).
NOLA Brewing Co. Tap Room
This dog-friendly bar has some great free jambalaya when you buy a drink during Saints games (3001 Tchoupitoulas Steet, 504-301-0117, www.nolabrewing.com).
Robert’s Bar
The free ping-pong and pool tables draw a loyal student crowd, and locals join them in numbers for the free barbecue on game days (3125 Calhoun Street, 504- -866-9121).
Kingpin
Not only is there the requisite free game day food at this Elvis-themed bar, but on Friday and Saturday night, cheap food trucks stop by (1307 Lyons Street, 504-891-2373, www.kingpinbar.com).
Finn Mccools Irish Pub
Traditional free game day food, but with the twist of it being more of a pot luck, where the locals bring their own dished to share. Buy your bar neighbour a drink and they’ll likely let you have your fill of whatever it was they bought. If you want to get creative, you can win a free bar tab if you bring a dish and it’s chosen as the best of the day (3701 Banks Street, 504-486-9080, www.finnmccools.com).
“We love visiting sports fans, but use your common sense. Try not to loudly berate the locals in their own bars. We’re all for some sporting banter, but remember you’re a visitor and don’t get aggressively competitive. We drink as much when we lose as when we win, and we’ll mostly be great sports about it.”

General free food
Even if you’re not a sports fan – and we understand that at least SOME people of this persuasion exist in this city – you can pick up some great free food if you’re happy to patronise the right establishment on the right night. Again, you’re likely to have to shell out for the odd drink, but we think you’re still getting a great deal of free hospitality. The following were all on offer at the time of writing – if you’re making a special trip then of course it makes sense to call ahead and check, because things can change fast here (sometimes, at least…).
Handsome Willy's

There’s a pretty good revolving choice of free food every Friday night, coinciding with Happy Hour, which is 5pm-9pm. Expect BBQ, burgers, tacos, etc. (218 S. Robertson Street, 504-525-0377, www.handsomewillys.com).

Mick's Irish Pub

A wealth of free food happens here, starting with traditional rice and beans on Mondays, then anything from hot dogs to sandwiches through to Friday. As they like to say: “Weekends, you’re on your own.” (4801 Bienville Street, 504-482-9113, www.mickspub.com)

Rendezvous Tavern

There’s a rare chance to try Indian food in New Orleans here every Sunday afternoon, with spicy curries and exotic sides from local Indian restaurant Nirvana. (3101 Magazine Street, 504-891-1777)

J&J’s Sports Lounge

According to several locals, locals bring free side dishes into the bar at the weekends, and not exclusively for game days, though this is perhaps when the best choice might be found (800 France Street, 504-942-8877).

R Bar
This Marigny staple has regular Free Food Fridays, which can be as exciting as a crawfish boil in season. You’re encouraged to tip the chef. And drink, of course (1431 Royal Street, 504-948-7499)
Le Bon Temp Roule
Locals say head uptown early for the free Friday night oysters as they go pretty quickly. You can stay for the free live music even if you miss out. The seafood comes out at 7pm. (4801 Magazine Street, 504-895-8117)
Banks Street Bar and Grill
“Banks St. Bar has ‘Spaghetti Western Sunday's’. There’s free BBQ, good old school country music played by Ron Hotstream and they show a spaghetti western as they do it.” (4401 Banks Street, 504-486-0258, www.banksstreetbarandgrill.com).
International Society for Krishna Consciousness
If you don’t want to sit in a bar and drink to get free food, then the Sunday Night Love Feast at the local Hare Krishna temple is a free meal for everyone that shows up. Food is served at 5.30pm and there are discussions and prayers from 6pm (2936 Esplanade Avenue, www.iskcon-nola.org).

There is SO MUCH information available it can be overwhelming. So, take your time, and read thru some of the tips others have submitted, but keep in mind, its just their advice. Your plans and style will vary according to what you want from your trip.

Here's a site that was developed for first timers and has a lot of good info and links: http://yourfirstvisit.net/

The following is some general information I give to all my friends:

There is a TON of information on the Internet about Walt Disney World, but it’s not all easy to find or sort thru. Here are a few of the better places to go for information.

I don’t know if you’ve made reservations yet, but we usually prefer staying on-property at one of Disney’s hotels. They might be a little more expensive, but the benefits you get from staying there, make it worth the slightly higher price.

First, check out Disney's own web site, they have some useful information, and you can order a free Vacation-Planning DVD and park maps. http://disneyworld.disney.go.com/planning-guides/in-depth-advice/first-trip/ However, they don't always make their information easy to find, especially if you're cost-conscious.

The following are free from Disney and they will send them to you to help you plan your trip. The DVD is fun to watch with the kids and will get you and them excited, but may also leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed.
Maps - http://customizedmaps.disney.go.com/
DVD - https://www.disneyvacations.com/dv/en_US/VacationPlanningDVD/index?sourcecode=15857&referrer=wdw&hdrType=default&vcntype=wdw

http://www.mousesavers.com/ - They highlight the latest specials, discounts and deals and update them frequently.

Something else to consider is using a travel agent. Disney has their own travel agency and you can book your trip on their web-site. However, there are several independent travel agencies that specialize in Disney trip planning, and can help you with every little detail of the trip, probably better than what Disney can. Plus, many of them (not Disney) will even watch for discounts for you and contact you when prices change or specials become available.

https://www.smallworldvacations.com/ - They have a great web-site that will walk you thru the steps in planning and booking a trip. I have used them a time or two to get price quotes, and they are fast and friendly.

http://yourmagicaljourneys.com/ - I have used this one, and they are great, but they’re just not as big as some of the others travel agencies.

http://www.mousefan.travel/mft/index.php?apid=lou - Another one I have not used, but heard lots of good about.

I should add that none of these travel agencies, including Disney's, charge any extra fees for using them. So, if nothing else, contact them and get a quote, talk to them and see what they can offer. It will take a lot of the hassle off the planning for you.

One other thing to keep in mind. Disney World is HUGE, really, really HUGE! There's lots to do, and lots of different options on how to do it. And, unless you've been multiple times or are going with someone who has been multiple times, it's hard to know where to go and what to do. Plus, if you're not careful, you can easily over-spend what you planned and not experience what you wanted. Working with one of the above travel agents can help. I know it sounds like I'm pushing you to use one of these, but I'm really not, I just want you to have a good time. If you choose not to use a travel agent, be sure and read up and do some research. Pick up one or more of the following books.

http://www.amazon.com/Birnbaums-Walt-Disney-World-2011/dp/1423123786/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311780856&sr=8-1 - This is the "Official" book for Disney World. It's not too big, has lots of pictures, and some good, general information for first timers or those who haven't been very much.

http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Guide-Disney-World-Guides/dp/047061529X/ref=pd_sim_b_4 - This is the "Unofficial" Guide, or as many call it, "The Walt Disney World Bible" and has LOTS more information, including very specific touring plans for each park and how to get the most out of your visit. However, it isn't nearly as pretty as Birnbaum's, and for first timers, this one is overkill at 864 pages, it can be overwhelming.

http://www.amazon.com/PassPorters-Walt-Disney-World-2011/dp/158771082X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1311781055&sr=1-1 - This one is a balance between the first two and has lots of good information in it to help in planning and organizing your trip. It's also my wife’s. She gets a new one almost every time we go.

You might be able to find some of these books at your local library too, or at least older versions.

By the way, we have been 15 times since 2000, and will be returning on Thursday of this week (3/8) for trip number 16! Send me a msg if you have any specific questions, I will be glad to help.

Don't be discouraged by /u/Daxos157. S/he clearly doesn't understand what the word "literally" means, but there are quite a lot of posts here that feature someone like you who is coming to visit who is looking for some advice on things to do and places to go. The reason you didn't see them when you scrolled down, is they ALWAYS get down-voted into oblivion (just like your post).

But don't be discouraged. The auto moderator generated an auto-post with lots of good information. I suggest you scroll through seven or eight pages on this sub, and you'll see lots of cool stuff. And I'm sure you would find that /u/Daxos157 is friendly and pleasant like pretty much all Charlestonians if you meet them in person. People like to make fun of tourists, but most Charlestonians understand that tourism is very important to the economy. There's lots of great stuff to see and do in Cjarleston, and you won't have any trouble finding it.

The Yorktown is cool, but unless you're really into Naval history, I think it is too much of a time vampire if you're only coming for a weekend. A good starting point is an organized tour. I'd suggest a walking tour (try https://bulldogtours.com/). They usually cost around $25, and are well-worth that. I'd prefer that over one of the carriage tours, but those are also very good (the tour guides have to pass a test to qualify) and roughly the same price. If that's too pricey for you, start your trip with a visit to the Charleston Area Convention and Visitors Bureau for some ideas within your budget.

If you're looking for a headstart, you might pick up Fodor's Guide Book on Amazon. $1.99 Kindle edition.

Don't be nervous. Get one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Guide-Disneyland-2012-Guides/dp/1118012283

Plan your itinerary right and the lines won't be so bad. Your 3-year-old will love it.

Make sure you go to Cafe Orleans or the Blue Bayou and get the Monte Cristo sandwich. Thank me when you get back.

To meet Aurora, either go to the Princess Fantasy Faire or dine in Ariel's Grotto, expect to pay about $120 but the food is very good. Get an autograph book, because your daughter will definitely get to talk to the princesses more if she has a book for them to sign.

The Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique will do a princess makeover on your little girl... buy her a princess dress ahead of time to save money, then for $50 she will get her hair done, makeup, glitter, get a ring, a tiara, a sash, and a princess backpack with makeup kit to take home. Totally worth it.

Skip the World of Color, but see Fantasmic.

Sleeping Beauty castle walkthrough is great to do in the heat of the day, if she likes Aurora. It's cool inside and you can do it at your own pace.

I went during spring break last year. The lines were usually not too bad if you plan it right. My 3 1/2 year old went from 8am to 12am without leaving the park for a break. That's how much she loved Disneyland.

> These structures of society have shaped the thinking of members of society to focus on the individual rather than the community.

No, that's a false view from social constructivism. As humans we innately have both considerations for individual and community cooperation. In fact, this was the very topic of Richard Dawkins' The Selfish Gene.

In fact it is your very point that cooperation with the community is vital to the success of humankind that caused the evolution of altruism. Specifically, it was the reproductive success of the individuals with genes to drive notions of community cooperation -- in balance with individual considerations -- that allowed those genes to flourish in comparison to solely individualist genes.

As you suggest, we benefit from each other thanks to a variety of economic factors, including safety in numbers, division of labour, comparative advantage, and solving the Prisoners Dilemma. But we also benefit from individual considerations. You can't simply ignore that. There is a balance, and we have those built into our cognitive functions, and social constructs don't eliminate that.

In fact, you've got it backwards. It's exactly things like using our collective government that solve such problems. Generally speaking, problems you identify are social Prisoner's Dilemmas. Things like environment are solved by creating a centralize enforcement of common best interests. As in the link, there is no means to solve it as individuals. No amount of, "Hey, let's all do it together" can every solve such problems; all it doesn't is increase the ability of individuals to exploit the sacrifices of others. It's called the Free Rider Problem. Once you understand the trap of the Prisoner's Dilemma and it's related problems like the Tragedy of the Commons and the Ultimatum Game, and recognize where they exist throughout societies, you begin to understand why we need to solve them through common enforcement agencies like a democratic government (as in the first link).

While social constructivism doesn't work, this doesn't mean that "thinking about community" doesn't help. We do have innate tendencies to norm toward our in-group (tribal) averages, so if more people seemed to focus on community then indeed that could promote people working in communities. But that doesn't seem related to capitalism or consumerism. Capitalism has nothing to do with individuals, but is purely based on the principle of up-front investment (of time, energy, effort, labour, money, whatever) to earn back more than the cost of the investment. That will always be true because it is an inherent law of the universe; it happens in any socioeconomic structure.

Consumerism also isn't a thing that creates other things, as the title suggests. Consumerism is an output; it's a description, not a prescription. People don't sign up to some consumerist set of beliefs; it merely describes the state in which we have excess capacity compared to what we need. We can now afford unnecessary trinkets, so we focus on our whims. But that is a consequence of standard of living, not of some socioeconomic structure -- except for the ability of that socioeconomic structure to enable the very prosperity the results in consumerist luxury.

The only way to do away with consumerism is to drive down our standard of living so that we only have enough to get by on. And to do that you have to force people to do it against their will. Remember, people today can work a lot less and consume a lot less if they want to. I have a friend who retired at 40 and moved to Costa Rica and lives in a modest house there doing fine, and likely will. She isn't wealthy at all, probably lower middle class before retiring. (Heck, you can read about people doing this in Happier That A Billionaire.) Most people don't though. We work as much because we want the marginal increases we get from it.

I hope you don't think that such a world would be a better place: forcing people against their will to have lower quality of life so that they can't consume luxuries so that they rely on other people more to get by so they think more in terms of community.

I really don't see that people an option people would like. I certainly don't. Rather, I think the better solution is exactly the democratic government approach, with a lot of reform though. Those reforms I would suggest would take far too long here though.

I need a gift idea for my aunt and uncle. They live in Brooklyn and love the city. Last year, I got them BAM gift certificates and a Brooklyn cutting board; they actually bought each other BAM gift certificates for Christmas as well, completely unplanned. They're casual Mets fans and devoted dog owners. I would love to get them a Brooklyn 'experience', tickets or gift cards for various local activities. I was originally thinking of something like this or this but would love to find a Brooklyn equivalent. My budget for them is ~$150. Any ideas?

ETA: We are also an Italian family, and we love our food. My aunt loves Scrabble, and they both love J. Crew.

Fun fact, I received the book 927 days of summer this week, from Amazon. Haven't started it yet, but I loved their first book. Title might be inspired from the book you mentioned.

Car travel does cost a lot more, but I personally love the security in comes with. I also love to get in very remote areas... I can't wait to get lost in Pantagonia! :)

Check out Bob Gurr's Google Talk, particularly at the 12 minute mark when he hears his interviewer use the word "Process." It's pretty funny. Watch the whole video. It's great. I'd also recommend any of the D23 panels that include the Imagineering Legends (Sklar, Gurr, Tony Baxter, Alice Davis, Rolly Crump, Joe Rohde, and others).

I was fortunate enough to hear Bob speak and meet him. Very, very nice gentleman.

In terms of books, in addition to those already mentioned:

The Imagineering Way is a fun book about the way they go about things.

The Imagineering Workout is a fun companion book.

John Hench's Designing Disney is a fun, visual look at his time with Disney.

Building a Better Mouse is a very specific story about the engineers who built The American Adventure show. This might be something you'd find interesting as an engineering student.

Project Future discusses the land acquisition in Florida. Very interesting book.

Three Years in Wonderland covers the construction and development of Disneyland in detail, more regarding the business side of things (leases, sponsors and partnerships).

*Walt and the Promise of Progress City is another fun book on the acquisition and the original EPCOT concept.

The main Walt Disney Imagineering Book is a great start, and Marty's two books are good as well.

I've also found Creativity, Inc to be inspirational. It goes back to the storytelling roots, but you'll find that most of the Imagineering books, articles, and posts are all about storytelling.

You would be surprised at how many resources there are to assist you in your solo fem journey. I gave a book on the best places to travel solo book to a friend for her birthday last year, but I also saw:

1. One
   
2. Two
   

3. Three
   

   Looks like there are a lot of memoirs as well, so I'm sure you can find one that is more targeted towards Europe.
   

   
   

   One of my biggest regrets during my travels in Europe when I was 20 was that it took me too long to venture out alone. When I finally did, I was perfectly fine, met lots of people, and had the time of my life. Just prepare yourself and go with confidence.
   

   ) Good luck.

"Where Next? A mini travel guide to 20 of your favourite locations around the world" Ebook - 3.51 USD, 3.99 EUR, 3.99 GBP

Paperback - 8.99 USD, 7.99 EUR, 6.99 GDP

Kindle Unlimited.

Description: You know what you are doing. You have been travelling for what feels like aeons. Your bag is packed, you know how to buy a train ticket, you can read a map. All you want is a book that answers the most important question. Which of the many awesome locations should you see first? Well, if that sounds like you, then this mini travel guide gives you the info on 20 of your favourite locations from all over the world. From Melbourne to San Francisco, Berlin to Rio and everywhere in between, each location gives you a recommendation for where to start. Don't worry though, it is not all tourist traps. There is plenty of information for travellers looking to get off the beaten path and experience something different. This is the world famous "My Favourite Five" series, but on steroids. More information, different photos, hostel recommendations and even a bonus preview of the upcoming comedy travelogue, "The Other Side of Travelling" (coming out May 20th). Plus there are tips for podcasts to listen to and books to read to help you pass the time when they lose your baggage again. There is something for everyone. At over 260 pages, this "mini travel guide" packs a punch.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07PRT5W5L

​

Let me know if you have any questions about the book. I hope you all like it. Thanks for taking the time to check it out.

Seconding Stadtwanderwege that were already mentioned! For a smaller half-day or lazy day trip in Vienna's immediate surroundings, I would recommend Naturpark Föhrenberge including Perchtoldsdorfer Heide (really neat rock formtions and views down on Vienna, unique vegetation). Another good option would be Nationalpark Donauauen (flat, lots of water and birds and open space, also good for swimming). I'd also recommend you to end your trip at a Heuriger, a traditional restaurant run by wine producers, consider starting and ending your trip in Grinzing for that, the South-Western area around Baden is also good for that. Look for any hiking trip recommendation containing the word "Wein" (wine), hehe.

If you want something a bit more involved, like a full-day trip with proper mountains, and maybe a stay in mountain hut, I can also recommend the hiking trips in this book (Amazon link here); it countains trips like this (I can recommend this one by the way). Try translating it through Google Translate and DeepL, the latter sometimes gives better results. If you don't want to buy it just for a day, there's a list of all the tours it contains here, you could then look up the names of recommended areas for hiking trips on either www.bergfex.at, www.outdooractive.com or www.alpenvereinaktiv.com (also available as apps). Also check out the apps Komoot and Mapy.cz, and Osmand for good offline openstreetmaps (which are sometimes more detailed for hiking paths than GMaps).

There's lots of lists and material, but most of it is available in German, shouldn't give you too much of a problem though if you use any of those sources for ideas, and then look up the tracks on abovementioned websites. Don't rely on the indicated train connections, some of the sources are from last year and things might have changed (recommended websites for that: www.oebb.at, www.anachb.at, and as apps ÖBB or Wegfinder, the latter also for the city). Also make sure your phone is fully charged and your equipment is fitting for the planned trip (proper shoes, clothing for rain protection and warmth, emergency medical kit, maybe a small flashlight, tell people where you're headed) and above all, have fun!

Some more sources:

List on environmentally friendly = public transport trips to the "Wiener Hausberge", the "Vienna house mountains" or mountains closely around Vienna. Contains this nice pdf.

Some of the trips already mentioned as list on Komoot.

List of trips reachable by train.

Another book, don't have any experience with this one personally.

Oh and also check out www.viennawurstelstand.com for various general info about Vienna in English. Also contains some hiking trip ideas here and here. www.wien.info is good for general tourist infos.

World travel is something many people wish for. Travel is usually expensive, with flights, accommodation and other expenses putting the experience of travel beyond the means of many would-be globetrotters.

I've written a book, Travel Free, where I teach methods to travel for free. It's possible to get free flights, sea travel, accommodations and more.

I hope with my book I can help you make your travel dreams a reality.

Travel Free, On Kindle, $6

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01AHGTYPI

With a 5-day park hopper you will definitely see everything, so no worries there :)

If you really want to ride Radiator Spring Racers don't go in the FastPass line. I watched it grow almost to the length of a regular queue line. Instead go right to RSR, ride it, and then hit the FastPass a little later when the return time is in the evening: riding RSR at night is really cool as well. In fact, make sure you hang out in Cars Land and the parks at night and don't retire early, they take on a different feel at night and the atmosphere is great.

Grab a copy of The Imagineering Field Guide to Disneyland, it has a lot of interesting information you can read up on as you travel there. Picking up a Hidden Mickey book can help you scour every square inch of the park too.

And don't be afraid to swallow your pride and visit some attractions that might seem dumb :)

You might want to lurk on the DISBOARDS forums a bit (usually I try not to nudge people off reddit but DCL just doesn't get discussed much here):

http://www.disboards.com/forums/disney-cruise-line-forum.9/

That said, the first thought that comes to mind is ... DCL is probably a lot more expensive for the same itinerary than other lines (including other lines that will have childcare). If money isn't a factor, you can't beat Disney for a family cruise.

The Disney ships are EXTREMELY Disneyfied. That said, if it doesn't drive you crazy in the parks, you'll be fine on the ships. I've only been on the Dream, and I'm both childless and not a Disney nut. It got to me a bit, but it was offset by the cleanliness of the ship and the fabulous staff. We also got a room with a big balcony, and we spent a lot of time there or in the adults-only areas. There should be an adults-only area on Magic, and you could go there while the kid is at the nursery (or whatever they call it for that age range, sorry).

If you do book, in my opinion it's worth spending the extra ten or twelve bucks and grabbing this:

https://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Guide-Disney-Cruise-Line/dp/1628090502/

Things change very quickly on ALL cruise lines, but the folks behind these books have a very good handle on Disney and DCL. I bought the electronic version and made lots of bookmarks on my kindle.

EDIT: Oh, and if possible you may want to book through Costco. They usually have a fairly large kickback in the form of a Costco cash card. It's basically the only way to save money on a DCL cruise.

Head to your local bookstore and pick up (I think it's just 10 bucks) the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World 2012, it should be mostly white with a thick red border near the bottom.

I'm 28 but I'm a bit obsessed with Disney from all the amazing memories I had as a kid, so when my (now fiance') and I went there with some friends and I proposed, I wanted to make the most of it. That book is AMAZING. Just the little interesting facts you can learn about the parks while finding out what to skip and what to miss (I really only read it for the Park-specific info and the restaraunts, the rest is sort of obvious) made a world of difference. I'm sure at times my "tour guide" comments were less interesting to everyone else than they were to me, but the connection the book gives you to the parks really enriches the experience.

It's the little things that you start to notice that just make the entire experience feel more magical. Dumb little things like how aside from the castle, the park is designed to keep you from being able to see the other "Lands" so you become more immersed in the one you in; or how the railings are painted green because your mind tunes them out that way, or even something really dumb like.. there is a trash can every 30 steps because Walt Disney sat at other theme parks and watched to see how far someone would walk before just dropping trash on the ground. Turns out, it was 30 steps.


Link to what the guide looks like - (http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Guide-Disney-World-Guides/dp/111801233X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1344268835&sr=8-1&keywords=guide+to+walt+disney+world+2012)

I recommend getting:

New trails guide

Older Trails guide

As /u/UnbridledHedonism said hungry valley is ok. Lots of motorcycles. I prefer Rohwer Trail off Boquet Canyon in Santa Clarita and Drink water off San Franquito Canyon in Sant Clarita. Big Bear has Cleghorn and John Bull which are fun. All of the trails are very challenging technically and require high clearance.

If you want real beauty head north on 395, Last Chance Canyon in Mojave, Lorel Lake in Mammoth, and Kavanaugh Ridge outside of Lee Vinning.

Nothing on the west side my friend.

How long will you be at WDW? If you're there multiple days, are you staying on-property?

The book The Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World has a lot of good strategies and is well worth the money, especially if none of you have been to Walt Disney World before.

Some tips, no particular order:

• The parks are most crowded in the early afternoon. If you're staying on property, a good strategy is to get to the parks very early, then go back to the hotel for a mid-day siesta (naptime, hang out at the pool for a couple of hours, whatever), and then go back to the parks for an afternoon/evening shift. I've found that this is really, really helpful with small children.
  
  
• Magic Kingdom is usually the most crowded park, and it gets super-crowded on weekends. If your schedule permits, try to avoid Magic Kingdom on Saturday and Sunday.
  
  
• Get the parade schedule, and try to hit popular rides/attractions just before and during parades-- the lines will be shorter. It's going to be hard for your kids to see much at the street parades, so I would avoid them. The night-time electric boat parade on the lake at Epcot is much easier to see, if your family can stay up that late.
  
  
• Since you've got three adults, you have the option of rotating coverage with the kids. Try to find a few windows where one adult can stay with the kids (maybe do It's a Small World...again, or play on the playground in Toontown), while the other two adults run off and do a "tall people only" ride.
  
  

Make an effort to get to know the people in your class, find people that have the same interests as you in the backcountry. Get their emails or whatever before the class is over so you can ski with them!

Do the reading and the homework they want you to, participate when they ask questions - normal classroom stuff. Make sure you're wearing warm and comfortable clothes when you're outdoors so you can focus on what they're teaching rather than staying warm.

Then, just supplement the material they provide. Get some books like Staying Alive in Avalanche Terrain and Snow Sense, go through some youtube channels [1] [2], there's even an avalanche podcast (Slide) now.

A big second for Adventure Motorcycling Handbook. I'd also recommend California Coastal Byways, California Desert Byways, and California Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails if you're going to be in Cali—or the equivalent for the states you'll be in if they exist.

I highly recommend joining ADVRider, they have lots of useful info.

Finally, get a book on ultralight camping, many of the principals are useful for motocamping as well.

Terrain isnt bad at all, couple slightly steep spots, think I only needed to even use 4wd twice. Pretty much any stock 4x4 with decent ground clearance should be fine, you just might have to be careful about your lines.

I didnt even take my gps when I went, get a paper map if you can. The forest service map is better than the delorme for this area. And
this book lists the trail as well, would recommend getting it if you dont have it already.

http://www.amazon.com/Guide-California-Backroads-4-Wheel-Trails/dp/1934838071/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1464888447&sr=8-1&keywords=guide+to+california+backroads+%26+4-wheel+drive+trails

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I'd read some trailjournals.com or similar to get an idea of what its going to be like hiking the AT. The more boring of a trailjournal, the better cause if you can get through a boring journal, you have a chance of having the mental fortitude to stick through a thru hike.

If this was the PCT, I'd recommend https://www.amazon.com/Hikertrash-Life-Pacific-Crest-Trail/dp/0692341382 as it's a good day to day journaling of life on the trail.


I would read whiteblaze.net forums and /r/AppalachianTrail. I'd pay attention to peoples lighterpack.com posts asking for shakedowns of their gear list and learn from them before you start buying equipment.


I'd start backpacking to figure out if I enjoy the activity that I'm going to drop my life for.


I'd figure out the opportunity costs of taking 6 months off of life and hiking the AT and asking myself if I think that's worth it.


Then with a couple of months to go till start, I'd really being training for the hike and reading up on specifics I'd want to know, like trail towns. I'd start planning my life to get it in order for being gone for 6 months. But in reality, if you've got the gear and backpacking experience, and your home life in order, you can start the day with zero prep.

Disney Security don't have jurisdiction. I've seen a few people tazed and held, but county sheriff come in. Fire is run under RCID because Florida would not put up funds for fiberglass fire training if I remember right. A fun (well, actually really dry) read on the whole thing for developing the Reedy Creek Improvement District and how the land was secretly acquired is Project Future.
It goes into detail the divisions and agreements the State of Florida and Disney came to in order to manage and where certain things begin and end legally.

http://www.amazon.com/Project-Future-Inside-Behind-Creation/dp/0615347770

Play Kingdom Hearts. Get some Disney scented candles and air freshners and make your room smell like different attractions/resorts. Watch the Walt Disney documentary on Netflix. Find memorabilia you like to collect be it artwork, funko pops, books. This book is a great behind the scenes look at Haunted Mansion:
The Unauthorized Story of Walt Disney's Haunted Mansion: Second Edition https://www.amazon.com/dp/1683900405/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_ZdYACb8D9KSEY

There is a hidden Mickey handbook that you can get at a local bookstore. It is great fun to see how many one can find in the park. It is small enough that you can carry the book with you in the park.

There is a good book about the process called "Project Future."

It sounds more like a CIA operation than a theme park build. In fact, I believe Disney hired some former CIA operatives to facilitate the purchases. Worth a read.

Project Future on Amazon

Everyone should give Project Future a read. Great insight on the politics behind the creation of Walt Disney World.

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Yep, I recommend the book I started with, Snow Sense. it’s less than $10: Snow Sense: A Guide to Evaluating Snow Avalanche Hazard https://www.amazon.com/dp/061549935X/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_D4oeAbKNJJ93Q

After that, I suggest an avalanche prevention / education course.

Sounds like Project Future: The Inside Story Behind the Creation of Disney World might interest you. It gets into land acquisition, Florida real estate law, water rights, and other troubles they ran into. Not so much about construction and opening though.

We bought this guide which has been really handy. I especially liked having a physical map when out in the rural areas where these trails are.

read my book on how to get the "NOLA for Free" book for $0.98


http://www.amazon.com/New-Orleans-For-Free-For-Free-ebook/dp/B00IPQTR1O/

Before hiking in 2016, I read Thru Hiking Will Break Your Heart and Hiker Trash both of which I thought presented accurate descriptions for what it's really like to hike the PCT. Not the most thrilling reads, but worth it if you're considering doing the PCT.

They sell this book around the parks. It's the one we bought to help us find them.

Project Future: The Inside Story Behind the Creation of Disney World

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0615347770/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

The book Guide to California Backroads & 4-Wheel Drive Trails is a great beginner book. You will want to get a GPS and input the coordinates from their website. It has Anza Borrego, Death Valley, the Mojave Road and tons of others. It organizes by location and difficulty. I have a modestly upgraded FJ cruiser and my brother has a stock Xterra both with 4low and rear lockers with smart driving can do anything but difficult rock crawling.

Once you get good at route finding you must do the Mojave Road it the the quintessential socal overland trip and can be done in a stock Jeep.

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-California-Backroads-4-Wheel-Trails/dp/1934838071/ref=dp_ob_title_bk

I like the unofficial book on Haunted Mansion as well, it covers some stuff the official Disney release does not https://www.amazon.com/Unauthorized-Story-Disneys-Haunted-Mansion/dp/1683900405/

[The Unofficial Guide Walt Disney World 2012 (Unofficial Guides)]
(http://www.amazon.com/Unofficial-Guide-Disney-World-Guides/dp/111801233X/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331707683&sr=1-2&tag=bookforyoudm-20)

Go on a hidden Mickey hunt!

He was paying about $180 per acre. Once the news it was Walt Disney buying the prices shot up as high as $80,000 per acre.

Here's a book about it:

https://www.amazon.com/Project-Future-Inside-Behind-Creation/dp/0615347770/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&keywords=project+future+the+inside+story+behind+the+creation+of+disney+world&qid=1443465788&sr=8-1

Disney later on lobbied for the show cops to never be filmed in Orlando to prevent a negative image about the city.

I'm in CO and not familiar with CA wheeling outside of the Rubicon and the trails there.

I have the CO and UT versions of this:

https://www.amazon.com/Guide-California-Backroads-4-Wheel-Trails/dp/1934838071/

But sometimes it's frustrating because they only have a 3 level rating system: easy, moderate, difficult.

For example in the Moab edition they list Finns & Things as difficult. And they also list Prittchet Canyon as difficult.

But there is a wold of difference in difficulty between those.

In other trail rating systems Finns & things is rated as a 4/10 and Prittchet a 9/10.

So it can be hard finding trails that match your level with only an easy/moderate/difficult rating system.

But the books can be good to give you a general idea of where the trails are and if they are suitable. You can augment with google searches to get a more precise idea of difficulty.