Wednesday, April 25, 2012

pensacola beach vs panama city beach?

just looking for a quiter beach, soft sand, and clearest water of the two...would be going in september





thanks!



pensacola beach vs panama city beach?


Honestly in September both will be quiet. I like Pensacola and have stayed there a few times. For me, PCB is better unless it is spring break, then it s**ks.





pensacola beach vs panama city beach?


Check out the beaches of South Walton - between Panama City and Destin on Scenic Hwy. 30a. The beaches are fantastic. We always rent a cottage or house (depending on the size of our party) and like Inlet Beach and Seacrest Beach. The coastal villages are quaint with unique shops and restaurants.





The websites we use are:





www.a1vacations.com



http://www.vacationrentaldirect.com/





Not sure if the Pensacola beaches have recovered from the hurricanes several years ago.




ok thanks :)





will check out those sites too! a cottage on the beach sounds great!




If you haven%26#39;t gone yet, PCB is quieter on the beach and water is perfectly clear! Got back yesterday. We are regulars at P%26#39;cola and love it as well, but this time PCB was amazing. Rates are better there too right now.




Hey jsg96-



We just got back from PCB and it was great. Very quiet, no traffic, and beautiful clear water. We have been several times before, but this trip was the best so far. I will definitely be going back in September next year.





I just posted a trip report if you want to check it out.





Here%26#39;s a link...



tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g34543-i127-k14683…

OK... just asking

Wondering if there are any Starbucks in any part of DisneyWorld or any coffee shops that are compairable that we could try...just used to Starbucks but willing to try another coffee shop for our morning java...Thanks again

OK... just asking

No Starbucks in Disney as far as I remember. I usually find my coffee at the folowing locations:

Downtown Disney-Ghiradelli%26#39;s- (Cafe Mocha) or Earl of Sandwich-(Kona coffee)

Magic Kingdom- Main Street Bake shop

MGM- Starring Rolls

Animal Kingdom- Kusafari Coffee Shop

Epot- Fountain View Cafe-(Cafe Mocha)

OK... just asking

There is one at Citywalk


I looked at allears, and this is Anita Answer%26#39;s take on it. Hope it helps...

http://allearsnet.com/aa/aa042307.htm#ques5

Picabu at the Dolphin serves Starbucks, but only the plain stuff -- nothing fancy. I think most, if not all of the Swan and Dolphin%26#39;s restaurants serve Starbucks, by the way.

There are stand-alone coffee kiosks in the parks that are not run by Disney, and they don%26#39;t use Nescafe. The coffee is not the best I%26#39;ve ever had, but it beats the alternative.


We were talking about this earlier. From the country that gave us exotic coffees with shots and double skinny wotsits, there is a dearth of speciality coffees available in WDW, even a humble capuccino. Regular or decaf were the only two options available.

We found a capuccino at Ghiradellis which was extremely average but no chocolate on top which lost points.


THanks all...sounds like there are lots of coffee stands..so I won%26#39;t worry about it


no not disney but they have one at universal


can%26#39;t remember the name at the moment sorry virgin megastore in downtown disney do a pretty good latte


great Kona coffee in the Polynesian Resort hotel, right off the

resort monrail.


Why worry you%26#39;ve got Dunkin Donuts mate everybody knows that starbucks can%26#39;t live with DD or KrispyCreme


There is one Starbucks in the Premium Outlets, just minutes away from Downtown.

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  • epcot - morocco

    Anyone tried the moroccan food at epcot? Just wondered if it is good?



    epcot - morocco


    We ate at Marrakesh in Morocco, at Epcot. It is a fairly big dining room. The food was Ok but not great. The atmosphere was quite good. There was a belly dancer who encouraged some children to join her in her dance. Good family entertainment. We considered it good value for money.



    epcot - morocco


    excellent - thanks for the info !!




    Well, I have to say that I just eat there some days ago, and my husband and I really liked it. I guess it depends on individual taste. It was also one of the biggest plates we found in counter service, I couldn%26#39;t finish it. The lamb was pretty good, and my kids loved their pizzas (I think it%26#39;s the only place that offers pizzas for kids, in counter services).



    I like the pavillion too, I think it%26#39;s beautiful.




    Maybe these reviews posted on www.allers.net can help you decide. I think the food is good, but unusual , at least compared to the usual American fare. If you are adventurous, you will probably enjoy it- if you family is ';just meat and potatoes';, it may be a bit too challenging. and exotic They do have some things that are ordinary ( especially on the kid%26#39;s menu) ,





    allearsnet.com/reviewpost/showproduct.php鈥?/a>

    Orlando Airport Hotel

    I am arriving on a 10:33 pm flight into the Orlando airport (MCO) October 27th. Any advice on a reasonably priced and clean hotel that offers shuttle service to/from the airport?



    Orlando Airport Hotel


    This one must get asked on a daily basis!!!





    If you are arriving at such a late hour, and bearing in mind if you LAND at 10.33pm, you might be out of baggage reclaim around 11pm? Is the Hyatt within your budget? Its right in the main terminal so no need to wait for a shuttle, get your bags, check in and go to bed!



    Orlando Airport Hotel


    Crowne Plaza is a reasonable price, clean and offers free shuttle




    Thank you Clubworldfan and peachyprice. The Hyatt sounds like a great hotel but too expensive. I%26#39;ll inquire about the Crowne Plaza.




    Don%26#39;t know if its the cheapest but we always use the Embassy Suites at the airport. Clean, and offers free shuttle and cooked to order breakfast...






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  • i now hate broadwaytravel.com/my travel

    flying out on thursday (27th) tix aint come so i rung em on tuesday and they said ahh yes we forgot! we%26#39;ll send em tonight



    never came wednesday and never came yesterday morning.



    so rung em again and the decided to tell me oh yours has come but your partners hasn%26#39;t.



    i asked them what they was doing and they said they chased my travel on tuesday!





    as if i%26#39;m not stressed enough i%26#39;ve gotta start chasing these muppets !



    i now hate broadwaytravel.com/my travel


    its the last thing you need so close to your hols





    good luck keep us informed



    i now hate broadwaytravel.com/my travel


    think you need to deal with this matter face to face.





    Anyone can tell you anything over the phone. Once the receiver is down you will soon be forgotten about.





    Trust Me.





    If I was in your situation I would have been in there office a few days ago. And if after 2 days I had not received my promised tickets I would be back in there.





    They will soon get sick of seeing you.





    You are cutting things fine and mj6 is right. This is the last thing you need.





    Do you want me to ring my mate BIG DAVE. He can make this situation disappear over night? for a fee of course. (the last statement was a joke. Are was it)




    they told me ';don%26#39;t worry we%26#39;ll sort you out with tix at the airport!'; can see it know, i%26#39;ll get to the airport and they%26#39;ll be like oh sorry there%26#39;s nothing in that name




    Hi



    Broadway travel, i used this company two years ago for accomodation only in Florida and i must say the service was abysmal, they kept sending the wrong vouchers out ,wrong dates, wrong hotels, and every time i rang i was told i could only speak to the agent who took the booking and guess what? yes... it was his day off or he wasnt due for his shift until later.





    The upshot is through perserverence, i finally got it sorted and had a great holiday, but ive never used them since, not just because of this episode, but because ive found a much cheaper company.





    So i sympathise with you Andy and i hope to god you can get it sorted quickly, and then maybe you can relax and enjoy your holidays ....have a great time.




    ANDY





    Go into them.





    I cant believe you are going to risk this.





    I have just texted BIG DAVE. He is on standby.




    Hope it all works out andy.



    Just hope Virgin send our tickets on time in 4 weeks.




    it%26#39;ll get sorted just can%26#39;t be bothered with the messing




    spoke to them again, they are sending out accom vouchers and transfer vouchers.



    but they have made tickets ';tickets on arrival'; looks like the stress will continue till around 8am on thursday




    What airline are you flying with. Surely you can phone them to confirm your flight situation?




    I agree - phone the airline if you can. I have no idea what ';tickets on arrival'; mean. It must be Muppetlish but it%26#39;s not English

    why do we buy newspapers on hols

    i cant understand why british people go on holiday to get away from it all .Yet the first thing they do in the morning is buy a british newspaper to see whats happening back home .It never reports good news just bad so why do we do it surely when were on holiday we dont miss home that much .I for one dont .i refuse to buy a british newspaper when on my hols.



    why do we buy newspapers on hols


    I have never bought a newspaper whilst on holiday. I don%26#39;t understand why people do it either. A bit of reading over breakfast? Personally if people by a paper whilst in Orlando you seriously haven%26#39;t planned your holiday properly.



    why do we buy newspapers on hols


    Whats wrong with having information?





    IT%26#39;s jus a time pass mate, no need to get all serious about it.





    You may go on holiday to escape pressures and get away from it all. But me personally, i ain%26#39;t under that much stress at the moment so a holiday too me doesn%26#39;t mean i have to jus escape.




    i hate not knowing whats going on at home not just the news but also the sport





    when we go to brittany i can get radio 5 on the car radio and i always check the news and sport




    I%26#39;m a bit of a news junkie. I always like to know what%26#39;s going on. When I%26#39;m on holiday I like to read the Mirror to see what%26#39;s going on. My husband%26#39;s ecstatic if he can get the Daily Record at Publix. I hate the idea that I%26#39;ve missed something. Plus I always like to read how cold it is back in London,lol.





    In Barcelona last year, they had the Mirror on sale at one of their newstands for 4euros. I gave that a miss. There was nothing that couldn%26#39;t wait for me to get home to catch up on. Besides, I had Sky News at the hotel I was staying at. At the time the news was mainly about the terror alert at the various airports back home, so there wasn%26#39;t much else being reported on. I was very lucky in that I missed all that by one day. I had flown out on a Wednesday afternoon, and all the airports were on Red Alert by Thursday morning. Close shave or what?!





    Saying all that, on the other hand when I%26#39;m home I sometimes watch Fox News International on Sky (I think Bill O%26#39;Reilly%26#39;s a hoot), or have a read of the Orlando Sentinel on-line to catch up with what%26#39;s going on in America/Orlando. Funnily enough I was home yesterday and was glued to the telly watching the bail hearing for OJ Simpson. Wasn%26#39;t he a silly boy?




    PS. I forgot to mention, it sometimes is a good idea to buy a British paper in Orlando, as they have coupons for various shows and things such as themed dinners, if you%26#39;re into that sort of thing.



    Whilst you can pick up yesterday%26#39;s papers, I don%26#39;t know about the others, but I do remember that the American version of the Mail and the Mirror is actually published in Orlando. I guess to cater to the large Brit population living there.




    I don%26#39;t.





    Dont have time to read them, and dont want to.





    Having said that I can remember buying a local one once, to see if their was any local events going on.




    hi



    i only but the sundays paper for the football match reports, but ive got to buy sundays paper on the monday of course at walgreens,





    odd to buy papers a day late though..




    Idon%26#39;t think the papers are a day old. I%26#39;m sure the%26#39;re printed in Orlando on the same day as at home.



    We always buy a paper when away. At home we%26#39;re always so busy with work and home that we don%26#39;t have time to read the paper.



    It%26#39;s all just part of the holiday experience to sit and read the paper from front to back page without feeling guilty %26#39;cos the%26#39;res 101 other things to do!!!




    Dazzlers, some papers are definitely a day old. I%26#39;ve bought and read day old papers from hotel lobbys and some shops. These are the ones that are delivered from overseas. It only seems to be the ones sold in large supermarkets that are printed in Orlando that are sold on the same day.



    So it depends on where you buy. Obviously when we realised that we could get same day papers then we%26#39;d just get those.




    Hey big bopper - I fully agree with you chum





    I NEVER buy any of the UK papers, because I want to avoid all the doom and gloom ... and it works. It is amazing how much scare stories and negative rubbish fills our newspapers. Instead I buy the local papers to read about baseball and silly news stories and get tokens for discounts in such places as Sweet Tomatoes. They also only cost 25cents and if there are any offers or sales I feel well up to speed on things.





    My advice on all sorts of levels is leave the Daily Mail etc where it is.







    Isn%26#39;t it that Peter Kay thing - the first thing you look for is what the weather is like at home - absolute nonsense. Also you will get the football results soon enough especially if you can get Fox Soccer channel.

    Eating in Orlando

    Hi everyone, Going to Orlando for the 1st time with wife and two kids (9 %26amp;14) in Feb 08. We are stopping in the Disney hotel All stars Sports I think. I was just wondering if you could recomend any good cheap places to eat, mainly breakfast and evening meal.

    I don%26#39;t know who is more excited me or the kids!

    Eating in Orlando

    andy70618,

    For breakfast there is a McDonalds you will drive past on the way to the resort at the intersection of Osceola Parkway. As to inexpensive places to eat dinner, get in your car and drive east on Osceola Parkway. Cross I-4. At the next major intersection make a right in front of the Gaylord Palms Hotel on to International Drive South. Take it to the end at 192. For about a mile in either direction are more chain restaurants than you could possibly take advantage of. Take your pick.

    CTR

    Eating in Orlando

    I didn%26#39;t see that he is going to have a car.


    Go to denny%26#39;s for your breakfast there great and they are everywhere, and for your evening meal try either golden coral or pondarosa or sizzlers they do buffets where you pay about $10 for adults and $7 for kids eat as much as you like steaks, pasta, chicken everything and loads of desserts love loved them when we went last year wde are going back nexy year, hope it helps.


    If you%26#39;re not going to have a car, go to www.allearsnet.com and check out the dining options there on the Disney property and at the All Stars. Earl of Sandwich and McDonalds are definitely on the cheaper side at Downtown Disney, as well as Wolfgang Puck%26#39;s Express (which is separate from the main Wolfgang Puck complex). The All Star Cafe (at Disney%26#39;s Wide World of Sports, not at All Star Resorts) is comparatively lower priced than some other places. If you%26#39;re wanting to do sit down meals at the parks and at the resorts (outside of food court options, etc.) its best to make reservations as early as possible. There are menus and pictures for some places on the above website.

    If you will have a car, you will have more options.


    Thank you all for the info. I am having a car, was told better to have and not need, than to need and not have.

    Any other tips would be appreciated.

    Thanks

    Andy


    If you have a car follow Cruising informatiom, but when you get to I-Drive and 192 I would turn left (192 East), most of the restaurants are going to be in that direction, if you go right (192 West) your%26#39;ll have to cross I-4 and the southern part of Disney before you get to all the restaurants about 2 Miles.


    I definately second the vote for Golden Corral if you want a good value meal - the choice of food is great and there should be something for all the family. If you%26#39;re going to do a buffet I would go for GC over Ponderosa or Sizzler anytime. Ci Ci%26#39;s Pizza is (surprisingly!) a pizza %26amp; salad buffet that only costs about $5 per person - not the most amazing quality food I have ever had but you can%26#39;t beat it for the price if you want a quick, cheap %26amp; cheerful meal.

    For non buffet places we always used to go to Dennys, IHOP %26amp; Perkins when I was the same age as your kids - again all are pretty reasonable (average about $7-$10 for a main course if I remember correctly) and offer a good choice of food. To be honest if you go to any of the chain restaurants you will probably think the food is cheap compared to what we would pay for the same type of thing in the UK!

    When you are over there remember to look out for the coupon books - they quite often have them in restaurant car parks or just inside the door. These can save you maybe 10%-15% off your meal or kids eat free etc which all adds up.


    For cheap food of decent quality and a very varied menu with great takeaway cakes and muffins, Perkins is always a safe bet.

    TIP: Buy your water from a Walmart or Pharmacy (can%26#39;t remember the chain name) in bulk for something like 99c for a demijohn. It%26#39;s about $2.99 for a small bottle on Disney property.

    There are also some decent chain restaurants just off Disney property without having to travel to I-drive. pretty sure there%26#39;s a perkins there too.

    If you want more info anytime... just yell I%26#39;m on your doorstep :))


    BTW definately grab coupon books.

    They have some great %26#39;Kids eat free%26#39; deals and 2-for-1 type offers. They%26#39;re free, they%26#39;re everywhere so you can use them for every meal if you want.

    TIP Check out your credit card%26#39;s foreign transaction charge. Most are up to 2.75% per transaction. Nationwide BS doesn%26#39;t charge though and have a 10month balance transfer 3 month purchase offer at the moment. Might be worth applying for one to finance your trip?

    TIP Always fill in the gratuity amount when paying by credit card. If you leave it blank, an unscrupulous server could add whatever they like to your bill, and you might NOT get it back if you challenge the card company later..

    Remember also that the servers are not normally paid like UK and their income is solely from tips, so factor the tip into your meal cost. A good %26#39;guesstimate%26#39; for good service is to double the state tax @7% to give a 12.5-14% tip (figures may have changed). At the same time don%26#39;t accept poor service because you have an English accent !!

    The problem is that Brits aren%26#39;t used to tipping and servers sort of relate %26#39;English Accent , no tip, no service%26#39; if you aren%26#39;t careful. At the same time I have deliberately not left a tip at a decent restaurant because of poor service (not poor food), and the waiter followed me outside to demand his tip.


    15% of your total food bill before tax, 10% of your bar bill before tax. IF your feel you have received outstanding service....feel free to tip more, please note that if you are not happy with service please speak with a manager, sometimes customers like to think a long wait for their food, cold food or different problems are solely the waitstaff%26#39;s fault...not so. Plus servers HAVE to pay income taxes on 7% of that food bill regardless if you tip or not.

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