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More cruise related sites:
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| A Sampling of Disney Cruise Line Ports of Call |
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Los Angeles
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"Only in L.A." You'll hear the phrase often, as a mantra for a this-is-the-good-life moment or with a laugh over a local oddity. Los Angeles teems with quirks, idiosyncrasies, and racing trajectories - the fascinating fallout from the city's alembic of ambition and invention. Dozens of cultures and affiliations jostle for position: Hispanic, Chinese, African-American, Korean, surfers, cyberminds, and of course, movie hopefuls. A cinematic glow colors everything in Los Angeles, from the Griffith Park Observatory, where James Dean fought in Rebel Without a Cause, to the nodding oil pumps seen in L.A. Confidential. It's an industry town, it's a car town, it's glitzy - and it's always captivating. Visitors flock to Hollywood in search of film and television stars; to Beverly Hills and Malibu for a glimpse of glamour and privilege; and to the beaches all along the coast, where the sunny, laid-back California good life is alive for all to see. If luck goes your way, you might find yourself doing a double take as a famous face shows up at a Santa Monica coffee shop or a Beverly Hills mall. Though L.A. is known for its show-biz razzle dazzle, the city refuses to rest on its laurels. In the new millennium image makers are forging a new identity for the city: that of an art and culture capital. Residents hope that as the world's eye gazes on the spectacular Getty Museum complex in Brentwood, it will wander also to some of its other 50-plus major museums, and to its hundreds of theaters and performance spaces. For those who think of L.A. primarily as the land of the permanent tan and endless beaches, the local retort is: "A beach with a ballet is a better beach!" Will L.A. become the Paris of the next thousand years? Stranger things have happened.
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Port Canaveral
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Port Canaveral has developed from a small oil and shrimp port into the busiest cruise port in the Western Hemisphere. It also has developed into an international hub for cargo from humble beginnings when a cargo vessel loaded with newsprint and a petroleum tanker made the first calls on Port Canaveral in 1955. Three years later, Tropicana tanker vessels began transporting refrigerated single-strength orange juice to New York out of Port Canaveral.
Bulk cement was first shipped through the port in the mid-1960s. Petroleum, which continues to be one of Port Canaveral's major imports, accounted for 93 percent of the Port's cargo by 1966, while cement imports represented six percent. The remaining one percent of cargo included newsprint, military and miscellaneous cargo. During 1966, Port Canaveral's cargo tonnage reached the one-millionth mark for the first time.
As cargo tonnage continued to increase, so did the varieties of cargo shipped through Port Canaveral. In the 1970s, scrap steel processed locally for export was added to the port's list of cargo, as well as fresh citrus cargo exports to Northern Europe and Japan. During the 1980s, citrus concentrate became a key import in addition to deciduous concentrates from Argentina and Chile.
Solar salt (evaporated sea water) used for premium water conditioning and in agricultural markets, also became a new commodity at Port Canaveral in 1982. Morton Salt Company opened a solar salt processing plant at Port Canaveral in 1990, and today more than a quarter of a million tons of salt is shipped through the Port annually.
In the early 1990s, single strength orange juice came back after a 30-year hiatus. Other primary cargoes at Port Canaveral, such as lumber, cement and newsprint also have increased steadily since the 1980s. The seafood industry also continues to thrive at Port Canaveral.
Since its dedication in 1953, Port Canaveral has evolved into a major deepwater port of entry with first-class berthing facilities, a thriving marine commercial park and foreign trade zone, and successful cruise and cargo industries. It is the world's first quadramodal hub, interchanging freight among sea, land, air and space transportation modes. In 2000 it became the busiest cruise port in the Western Hemisphere.
The Canaveral Port Authority is the governmental body with jurisdiction over Port Canaveral. It is independent of the Brevard County Commission and area municipalities, receiving its operational authority from the State of Florida. The Port District is divided into five geographical districts in North and Central Brevard. A commissioner is elected from each of the five districts. The five commissioners oversee fiscal, regulatory, and operational policies of the Port. An executive director and staff of about 150 employees carry out fiscal, regulatory and operational policies.
Port Canaveral is located on the U.S. East Coast within easy cruising distance of the island of Bermuda, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. Port Canaveral serves all of Central Florida from its coastal location in Brevard County. It is the closest deep water port to the nearby Orlando-area attractions and neighboring Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Patrick Air Force Base, Kennedy Space Center and Cocoa Beach.
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Walt Disney World Resort
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Walt Disney World (WDW) is a magical vacation destination. Covering an expanse of over 47 square miles, it includes four major theme parks, three water parks, a sports complex, six golf courses, a shopping center, and two nighttime entertainment complexes. WDW also boasts seventeen themed resort hotels and a campground.
Walt Disney World has something for everyone -- the theme park enthusiast, the naturalist, the sports enthusiast, the romantic, and the gourmet. Walt Disney World has both high technology and low technology, fantasy and reality. The gardens of Walt Disney World are gorgeous. Its transportation system is expansive and efficient. Disney's employees, known as cast members, are helpful and strive to make you -- the guest -- happy.
Of course, the four major theme parks are the main attraction at Walt Disney World. The Magic Kingdom (MK) is a wonderful collection of adventure, heritage, fantasy, and science fiction. Walt Disney's dream of an Experimental Prototype Community Of Tomorrow (Epcot) showcases both technology and world culture in a unique mix of attractions and exhibits. At the Disney Studios you can see television and movie production and enjoy many of your favorite films and shows from the past, too. Disney's Animal Kingdom, the newest jewel in the Walt Disney World crown, is a blend of nature and adventure packaged with all of the exotic atmosphere that Disney's Imagineers could muster.
In addition to the major parks, three water parks and a handful of other attractions are available to resort guests. Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn would be right at home at the old swimming hole, River Country. Typhoon Lagoon is a lush tropical paradise...hit by a tremendous storm not long ago. Blizzard Beach was Florida's first ski resort...until the snow from the freak winter storm melted. There are several Disney-themed miniature golf courses and for the more serious sports enthusiast, 99 holes of "real" golf, tennis, beach volleyball, fishing, swimming, hiking, and water skiing.
Downtown Disney includes three areas of shopping, dining, and nighttime fun. The Village Marketplace is a wonderful collection of unique, interesting, and fun stores and boutiques. Pleasure Island, is primarily a nightspot with shopping, dining, and nightclubs - but many of the shops and restaurants are open during the day, too. The West End is the newest addition to Downtown Disney and adds additional restaurants and shops.
Another nighttime option is Disney's Boardwalk. Scattered along the boardwalk is a wonderful array of clubs, restaurants, and shops. The atmosphere is a throwback to 1930's Coney Island with the vendors, street performers, games of chance, and other amusements scattered about.
Walt Disney World provides hotels and resorts themed to almost any taste. If Victorian elegance is your thing, the Grand Floridian can satisfy. Modern, urban tastes are met at the Contemporary resort. If the sun and sand of the Pacific islands interest you, the Polynesian Resort would be a wise choice. Resorts reminiscent of turn-of-the-century New England, the ante-bellum South, and Key West are also available. Wilderness Lodge, one of WDW's most elaborately themed resorts, is the epitome of the national park lodges built during the 1920's and 30's. The wild northwest pine forests, wood burning fireplaces, and geysers are the specialty here. The newest resort at Walt Disney World, Animal Kingdom Lodge, abounds with details such as a thatched roof, a rope bridge spanning the multi-story lobby, and lovely chandeliers decorated with African tribal headdresses and all of that topped off with a spectacular 30+ acre savanna stocked with giraffes, zebras, wildebeests, and hundreds of avians.
Over two hundred restaurants provide abundant meal options ranging from the finest and most romantic multi-course meals to family dining to fast food from food courts and snack pushcarts. At Walt Disney World you can feast on fine French cuisine, be entertained by belly dancers as you dine on Moroccan faire, or relish a New England-style clambake.
It is very difficult to understand the size, scope, and variety of Walt Disney World until you have actually been there. The theme parks, attractions, resorts, and restaurants of WDW offer something to everyone. No matter what your interest, you are sure to find loads of fun for everyone in the family.
Without a doubt, the magic of Walt Disney World makes this a wonderful and unique vacation destination!
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